


Investigator Kaneki of the CCG

by Cryonites



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: CCG - Freeform, CCG Kaneki Ken, Commission of Counter Ghoul | CCG - Freeform, Ghoul Cannibalism (Tokyo Ghoul), Ghouls, Kagune (Tokyo Ghoul), Quinque, Tokyo Ghoul Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 76,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27314704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cryonites/pseuds/Cryonites
Summary: This is an AU where Kaneki joins the CCG as an investigator instead of meeting Touka and Anteiku.Note: Originally posted on Wattpad, same title.
Comments: 34
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

Ken Kaneki, a 18 year-old college literature freshman human with black hair talks to his best friend Hideyoshi Nagachika, a english freshman. They both went to the same elementary, middle and high school, followed by both going to Kamii University. They were in Anteiku.

A teenage waitress with blue hair and a bang covering her right eye served the two boys coffee.

'So who's this girl you're meeting Kaneki?'

'Her name is Rize and she comes to this cafe often. Quiet Hide, she's coming.'

A beautiful young girl with long purple hair and red glasses came in the coffee shop. She smelled sweet and her eyes were sparkling.

'Well, I got to see the girl you were talking about. I should get going. Gotta go to work. Godd luck, dreamer boy!'

'Bye Hide!' Kaneki said, a smile on his face, grinning at the sight of Rize.

Kaneki pulled out his book, The egg of the Black Goat, and started reading. Suddenly he noticed that Rize was reading the same book as he was. Rize noticed this and smiled back at him. 

(Timeskip(We all know what happens so sorry if I'm rushing this a bit))

Kaneki was walking Rize back to her house in a dark alleyway after their date. They talked mostly about books but she said that she was because she lived near where the ghoul attacks occurred. However, when they reached a construction site, she started talking to Kaneki.

'It's strange though, isn't it?' said Rize.'That you and I are walking together because of Takatsuki's book. The truth is I noticed the way you were looking at me. I've been watching you too.'

Suddenly Rize lunged in the air and Kaneki's shoulder. He saw that both her eyes turned black but her irises were blood red. She was laughing hysterically, a manic grin contorting her beautiful features.

'Do you wanna know what my favorite part from the Egg of the Black Goat is? It's when the Black Goat stirs the innards of a fleeing victim. It excited me. Can you excite me Kaneki?

(Kaneki P.O.V)

Oh my god. What the hell was that? She's a ghoul? Why. All I wanted to do is have a nice date with her. Why did this have to happen. Why why, why, why, why, why, why, why? Why me? I quickly ran to a construction site but Rize caught up and striked at my kidneys.

This is the end.

It's over.

Suddenly I noticed multiple steel beams crashing down on Rize, squashing her under the weight. My eyes soon closed as I went unconscious.

(Sometime Later)

I'm hearing a faint buzzing. Incoherent voices speaking in broken sentences. Where am I? What am I doing here. I'm hearing a man's voice. Family? Organs? I feel like i'm being immersed in a large cool ocean. Alone amidst the calm waters. But am I really alone? I can feel someone's presence on my back. The world is faint, i'm blacking out.

(Later)

My left eye is throbbing. Why is that? Everything is distorted. Why did this tragedy have to fall upon me?

(At the CCG)

'So this is Dr. Kanou?' said a tall, muscular young man.'He used to work for the CCG didn't he?'

'You are well-informed Amon. He currently works at a hospital and performed a controversial surgery. He put a dead woman's organs in a injured young man's body when steel beams crashed upon them.'

'But why does this interest the CCG?' responded the young man to his mentor, a quizzical look donning his face.

'What if the woman is a ....ghoul?'said the older man with his eye bulging out.

Author's notes: Feedback is highly appreciated, even negative feedback!


	2. Chapter 2 Joining

Kaneki P.O.V.

Apparently it's been a few days since I've arrived at the hospital. Dr. Kanou used Rize's organs and transplanted them into me. Kanou debriefed me, but everything seems hazy. I don't know why but everything I eat tastes repulsive. The nurse, Ms. Taguchi, would serve me food and it just tastes... awful.

End of Kaneki's P.O.V.

Whilst this was happening two men wearing gray trench coats came into his room. The younger of the two had a grave and somber face whilst the older one had a sly and conniving smirk. They had large attache cases and you could feel their sense of duty.

Kaneki was curled up in a ball in the hospital bed sheets. He was feeling sick and afraid. He felt tired, restless, and vulnerable.

The older of the two men went on one side of the bed and removed the sheet, exposing Kaneki to the light.

'Umm....Who are you two? I don't recall seeing you so I wouldn't think that you are my visitors.'

'Hello, my name is Kureo Mado and I'm a First Class Investigator for the Commission of Counter Ghoul, otherwise known as the CCG. On my left is my partner.' said the gray-haired man.

Then it was the turn of the tall young man to speak:'My name is Koutarou Amon, Rank 1 Investigator for the CCG. We are here to-'

'Now don't get hasty Amon. So Mr. Kaneki, how are you feeling? Anything strange or different?'

Kaneki was overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of government officials and didn't know how to react. He'll definitely tell them about Rize being a ghoul but was disturbed by the gaze filled with contempt and disgust that the young man, Amon, looked at him with.

'Umm.. Y-Yeah. I don't know why but my sense of taste changed whenever I eat, I fell sick."

The older man, Mado, pressed on. 

'We are here to discuss what happened during that fateful night a couple of days ago. Would you mind talking about it?'

"S-Sure. I was going on a date with this girl, Rize, and I was walking her home. Then she bit into my neck and tried to kill me!' said Kaneki, with visible fear on his face.

'I see' said Mado,' and do you know what happened to her?'

'Yeah, she was crushed by some steel beams.'

'And you received a kidney from her right?' asked Amon.

'Well, yes.'

'This might sound bizarre Kaneki-kun but you mentioned that your sense of taste is altered? The food you used to enjoy tasting foul?'

'I don't know why! Milk is like clay, rice feels like animal fat and soda tastes like machine oil. It's awful.'

Amon's eyes widened in surprise and shot a worried glance towards his superior. Mado nodded knowingly towards him and took a knife out. He slowly proceeded to graze the blade on the back of his wrist, just enough for blood to come out.

'Kaneki-kun, look at this. How does it make you feel?'

The dark-haired boy rose slightly from his sitting position in his bed and slowly smelled the Investigator's hand. For some reason it seemed appetizing. Wait. What was he thinking? He wouldn't want to eat it. But his instincts took hold and his left eye turned black and red, not that he could see it, as he was slowly salivating.

'Are you seeing this Amon-kun?'

'Yes sir. Should I take my quinque out or...?'

'No. The Chairman gave me specific orders.' The Investigator now looked at Kaneki, who seemed shocked that the blood was grabbing his attention.

'Kaneki this might be hard to hear but it appears that you are a ghoul. Dr. Kanou implanted Rize's kakuhou into you, transforming you into a one-eyed ghoul.'

His words slowly sank into Kaneki's mind. He was a... ghoul? He would need to eat humans? Kaneki slowly started to cry in disbelief. How could this happen? The other day he was a college kid going on a date and now... now he was a monster?

'Are you going to kill me?' He asked, looking at the two investigators with tears running down his cheeks and nose.

Amon was shocked. He had his suspicions about the boy but did not know how to process the information. A human turned into a ghoul? Was he a human or a ghoul? Both? Neither? Must he execute him or spare a ghoul's life. This boys' existence reminded Amon of very painful and disturbing memories.

'Investigator Mado... What do we do with him?'

'Our current orders are to bring him to the CCG headquarters. The Bureau Director will need to talk to him to decide his fate as well as breaking down what happened to his body' replied Mado with a slightly exasperated tone. He looked at the terrified teen and said ' I'm sorry but you must come with us. If you resist, well, I'll get a new quinque.'

'Okay. I'm coming.' said Kaneki, unease and nervousness filling his voice. 'Just a question, what happened to Kanou?'

'He fled.' Amon said with a blunt and unforgiving tone.' Let's go.'

(Timeskip to the CCG)

After being discharged from the hospital, Kaneki was brought to the CCG headquarters in the 1st ward. His mental state was horrid, finally understanding what he was now: an abomination.

'So who am I meeting?

'You will be meeting 2 other people: the CCG's Bureau Director along with me and Dr. Chigyo. Dr. Chigyo will explain the anatomy of a ghoul and the Bureau Director your future life. Off you go.' affirmed Mado.

The way that Mado said that made Kaneki feel like he was trapped and forced to become something he didn't want to be. His destiny was sealed even before he entered the room. Kaneki saw two men: one with a bob cut covering his eyes wearing a lab coat and another with fairly long hair, decent stubble, and wearing a gray suit. The latter started talking.

'Hello, my name is Yoshitoki Washuu, I am the acting Bureau Director of the CCG. Please, take a seat' said the man, now known as Yoshitoki, pointing towards the chair in front of him. Kaneki sat down in the chair in a very neurotic fashion. He started to anxiously tap his foot on the floor.

'You must be very scared and confused about your future' started Yoshitoki 'A human turned into a ghoul is unprecedented. As you may or may not know, the CCG exterminates ghouls. As you are a... interesting case, we are giving you two options: live and be a ghoul investigator, or "live" in Cochlea, the ghoul detention center, for the rest of your life.'

Kaneki thought that he didn't have a choice and that he wanted to live. However was he really cut out for killing? He had never gotten in a fight before, so why would the CCG want him to fight ghouls? Also what would he... eat? 

'Excuse me Mr. Washuu, but what will I be eating if I join the CCG? I don't want to eat humans.' said the boy, tears forming in his eyes.

'We have an agreement with a blood bank where they will send us transfusions for you to eat. Of course all of this is confidential. So, will you join us?' a small smile forming on his lips, reaching out his hand towards the dark-haired teen.

Kaneki knew he didn't have a choice. He didn't want to die but was spending the rest of his life in the CCG worth it? He wouldn't be able to see Hide anymore. Hide couldn't know that his best friend turned into a ghoul. He couldn't. Reluctantly, the boy grabbed the older man's hand and shook it. A sly smile was on the lips of the Bureau Director while Kaneki bore a nervous smile.

'As of today you are Third Class Investigator Ken Kaneki. You will be living in the 1st ward, at the Chateau. You will be temporarily assigned to Investigators Amon and Mado, then you will be Investigator Koori Ui's partner. Good luck out there. Amon and Mado will teach you the basics of fighting and using a quinque, then Ui will mold you into an actual Investigator. Chigyo here will teach you about ghouls and about yourself. You are excused.'

Both the-now-Investigator Kaneki and the man named Chigyo exited the Office. The man looked at Kaneki and shot him a nice and friendly smile.

'So you are Ken Kaneki right? I'm Dr. Chigyo, head of the CCG's laboratory department. Well let's get down to basics. Ghouls cannot eat human food because their tongues are composed differently. A ghoul consumes humans because we humans have a high Rc level count. Rc blood cells nourish ghoul and compose their kagunes and are stored in their kakuhous. So there are 4 different Rc types: ukaku, koukaku, rinkaku and bikaku. They are different in two ways: the speed the Rc blood cells are released and where they are located. Ukaku kakuhous and therefore kagunes are located in the shoulders. Koukaku near the shoulder blades, rinkaku around the waist and bikakus are released near the coccyx. Where did Rize's tail come from Kaneki?'

'From her waist or back I think. That means she's a rinkaku right?'

'Exactly Kaneki!' responded the man enthusiastically' Her so-called tail was her kagune and it came from a sac, the kakuhou. In a way, kagunes are muscles.'

'I think I got it Dr.' said Kaneki a tad bit shyly.

'So regarding your... uhh feeding habits, you'll be drinking blood. Does that bother you?'

'Yes it does, quite a bit actually.'

'Well, to be blunt, if you don't drink any you will starve and you might attack someone, so if I were you I'd drink it. Here is your new address, you will move out of your old apartment as soon as possible and you are not permitted to wander off on your own without permission. Understood?'

'Yes sir! Goodbye!' The teen turned around, address in hand and went to his new address, a new chapter of his life opening, even though the future seemed grim.


	3. Chapter 3 Training

Kaneki was shocked when he saw his new home: the Chateau. It's a three-story building, with each floor dedicated to a different purpose. Training facilities make up the first floor of the building, the second floor consists of a kitchen and dining area, a large living room with a entertainment system, spare bedrooms for visiting guests, and meeting rooms , the third consists of private living quarters for people. Kaneki wondered about who will be living in the spare rooms. In the meanwhile, Kaneki went to his home in the 20th ward, accompanied by an Investigator of course, and brought back mostly books and clothes. For the time being the walls of the Chateau were bare, but he might decorate it in the future. Kaneki received a uniform that he had to wear as a CCG investigator: a gray overcoat coupled with black pants with stripes, a white dress shirt and a black tie. Tomorrow he will need to go to the CCG headquarters to meet Amon and Mado. Kaneki has never been in a fight so what will he do?

(Timeskip)

The following morning, Kaneki went to the CCG's main office to meet Mado and Amon. Kaneki saw them waiting for him in the lobby. When Mado notices Kaneki, one of his eyes bulged and the other squinted at him. Only Mado, Amon, and a select few others knew the fact that Kaneki was a ghoul.

'Hello Kaneki' said Mado,' I have a gift for you!' Mado proceeded to give Kanek a medical eyepatch with the purpose of Kaneki wearing it on his left eye." Whenever you will activate your kakugan, at least it will be protected. Also the CCG put pressure on the hospital and the media so the steel beam incident has died off the news.'

Kaneki felt slightly relieved that his identity as a ghoul was going to be protected. However, he had to ask Mado what will he be doing.

"So, uhh Mr. Mado.'

'Yes, Kaneki?'

'Mr. Washuu said that you were going to train me? The thing is that I've never been in a fight.'

Kaneki swore he heard Amon scoffed.

'I know Kaneki-kun. I was tasked with teaching you to use a quinque. You do know what a quinque is right?' said Mado with a toothy smile.

Kaneki nodded hesitantly. ' It's a weapon with ghoul tails right? Is it the only thing able to kill a ghoul?' Kaneki was anxious for his first day working as a ghoul investigator. Amon started explaining what Kaneki would be doing. Apparently Amon would physically train him, but Mado will tech Kaneki the technicalities of quinques and ghoul investigating.

'We will be going to the Chateau's training room and you will spar against Amon.' finished Mado.

Kaneki glanced at the tall investigator, who only furrowed his brow. Mado and Amon started walking and Kaneki had to slightly run to catch up.

(Timeskip to the Chateau)

The trio entered the Chateau and went to the training room. Amon took his jacket off and faced Kaneki. Out of nowhere, he threw a punch directed at Kaneki's face. Kaneki panicked and fell on his ass, like an idiot.

'What was that for?' exclaimed Kaneki.

'That was to test your reflexes.' replied Mado.' We're going to keep at this until you can at least run for your life correctly.

For the next 4 hours, Kaneki had his ass handed to him. Repeatedly. Kaneki was only good at dodging Amon's punches, nothing else. After a while, Mado spoke up.

'This is all well and good but I want to see results. Amon, take your quinque out.'

'As you wish sir.' Amon walked out and came back in with a large case. He went over to his superior and the two started whispering, followed by Amon's nods. Amon came towards Kaneki and threw a punch. Kaneki jumped back and skidded a little. While Kaneki was off-balance, Amon opened his case and took his quinque out. He started running towards Kaneki, with a determined look on his face. Amon attacked Kaneki with the full intent of killing him. 

When he realized this, something clicked within Kaneki. Out of nowhere, his sclera turned black, his pupil red, and finally, 3 tentacle-like tails came out of his lower back. Amon attacked Kaneki, but he dodged and sent his kagune smashing into the quinque, breaking it in half. Amon's face contorted into shock. Kaneki calmed down and his tails disappeared.

'Now that is what I was waiting for. You even broke Doujima!' exclaimed Mado. Amon looked devastated that his quinque broke and Kaneki looked surprised that he could break it. Kaneki was mostly scared about his new-found power. Then he saw Amon look at him. The look Amon used to give Kaneki was mostly disgusted or aggressive, but this one was different. This was fear.

'Now, now Amon. Calm down. At least we now know for sure that Kaneki is a Rinkaku.' Mado now looked towards Kaneki with his eye bulging and the other squinting, his usual sly smile on his lips.' I am so happy to be able to give your first quinque Kaneki. Here is Scorpion.' Mado handed Kaneki a dagger-like quinque. Apparently it was a bikaku. Then Mado continued talking.' We are done for today. We'll meet together at the CCG headquarters tomorrow. Good evening.' Amon and Mado left in a hurry, leaving Kaneki to his thoughts.

Kaneki P.O.V.

Well, now I'm all alone. I don't want to be alone in this huge house. Maybe I should take a walk.

End Kaneki P.O.V.

Kaneki walked for a while, arriving in the 14 ward. After walking a few more blocks he arrived at a bar, Helter Skelter.


	4. Chapter 4 The 20th Ward

Kaneki entered the bar and noticed a very attractive woman. She looked like she was in her late twenties, standing at a bar.

' Hi' said Kaneki. ' Is this a bar?'

'Yes it is pumpkin.' replied the woman.' My name's Itori, what's yours?'

Kaneki was slightly unnerved about that comment. He also sensed that something was different about her, she just smelled weird. Kaneki wasn't too sure about her and decided on an alias. He went with his two favorite kanji from coffee and world, giving the name Haise.

'My name's Haise. I'm sorry but I am underage so...'

'That's fine! What's with that eyepatch anyway? And why do you smell like a female ghou... nevermind.'

' I got injured a while back and my eyepatch shields my eye injury.'

Kaneki, going by Haise now, was slightly unnerved by how prying this woman was. He needed to be wary of her.

Looking for a quick conversation starter, he asked: 'Anyways, what are you drinking?'

The woman ignored the question and simply asked' Are you a ghoul?'

Kaneki's eyes shot up in surprise. 'Excuse me? I am not a ghoul. ' Kaneki slowly backed away and tried to open the closed door.

The girl's eyes narrowed and went towards Kaneki, she lunged at him but he dodged in an apprehensive way. She then took blood and splashed it on his face. Kaneki winced and Itori took advantage of that. She grabbed the eyepatch and saw a one-eyed ghoul. Itori stumbled back and was genuinely surprised.

'Please don't tell anyone!' Kaneki pleaded, his shy voice quivering. Kaneki didn't know how to explain this so he came up with a lie. "I'm not from Tokyo, I'm from the mountains. I've never really talked to another ghoul before and I'm a bit lost.' Kaneki was scratching his chin while he told the quick lie. He never was a great liar and was kind of uncomfortable while doing so.

'Then you've come to the right place Haise, I'm an information broker. So what don't you know?' said Itori very cheerfully. She couldn't wait to tell Uta or Renji about this.

Kaneki decided to reply honestly ' I know nothing about ghouls. You (and Rize ) re the only one that I know of.'

Itori listened and carefully nodded. She then asked ' Do you have a mask?' When Kaneki told her no, she was very surprised. She told him to go see Uta and gave him tips about how to live as a ghoul. She told him drinking coffee or blood will quench his hunger and that fermented blood can act as alcohol. All along Kaneki played the masquerade of the confused ghoul Haise. At last, Kaneki left Helter Skelter with a bottle of blood-wine as a gift from Itori. The beautiful woman was charming and gave him an address to get a mask. Maybe he could use this information to benefit the CCG? Anyways it was past curfew and needed to return to the Chateau. Tomorrow was going to be his first real day on the job. 

Then it struck him. Wasn't he forbidden from leaving the Chateau without permission? Kaneki was now extremely worried and started getting worried. He quickly ran back to the Chateau, hoping no one noticed.

(The following Morning)

Kaneki arrived slightly later than Mado and his partner at the train station. Amon had a new quinque to replace the one Kaneki broke, but it was still a kokaku. Its name was Kura. Amon and Mado killed a ghoul, called No 696, and after that, followed his wife and child to the 20th ward. The slaying of number 696 occurred before Kaneki's arrival at the CCG. Mado's team was tasked to kill both of them and any other ghoul. They will also be helping out the 20th ward's branch office with surveillance of suspected ghouls.

'Did you bring your quinque?' Mado inquired. As a sign of response, Kaneki took out his dagger from his pocket, in any case, he didn't know how to use it. Amon continued to give Kaneki the cold shoulder though. Mado started walking in a dark alley and Amon and Kaneki followed suit. Suddenly, a man lunged at Mado. Mado quickly opened his case and slashed at the ghoul in a matter of seconds. The ghoul lost both arms and legs, falling on the concrete.

'Ghoul Countermeasures law article 12, clause 1.' began Mado.' All subjects confirmed having performed kakugan or kagune will be deemed as class 1 special precautionary targets, a.k.a. ghouls.'

Kaneki watched in horror, petrified at the sight of the ghoul writhing on the ground. This was the first time seeing someone die! Mado continued his rant and proceeded to decapitate the ghoul. Kaneki was utterly disgusted and terrified at what he just saw. Mado noticed this and went towards him. Kaneki started to feel sick.

'Don't feel bad for him, ghouls are soulless creatures that deserve to be exterminated. We're going to the 20th ward next.' Mado and Amon started walking. After recollecting his thoughts, Kaneki chased after them and called a clean-up crew. Then Amon spoke:' Don't you feel like we're being watched?' Mado quickly dismissed the thought until

'Mr.Mado.'

'Yes, Kaneki?'

'Someone was there. I could smell them. I'm not sure but it may be a ghoul.'

While Amon looked revolted at Kaneki's skills, Mado gently nodded while smiling frantically. He then told both of them to follow him. Kaneki was starting to become more and more interesting.

(Timeskip to the 20th ward branch office)

Amon was giving a report on the various suspects that they had trailed all day long. After that, a man named Kusaba started giving a report on suspect number 723. Apparently she went to a stone monument and then got into an unknown car.

' The stone monument may be a grave. Did you search it? If we can establish a connection between no 696 and no 723, then we can confirm that no 723 is a ghoul. Why didn't you?' said Amon.

'But that's immoral' replied a distressed Kusaba. Amon stood up with a look of determination in his eye. 'Immoral? We can't crush ghouls with morals. We are justice, We are morality.' Kusaba was in awe of Amon's determination, while Kaneki stood there, speechless. Shortly after, Mado, Amon, and Kaneki were walking in the hallway. Amon was complaining about the branch office's employees' lack of duty. Then they saw a small child walking with huge bags under his eyes. Mado left both of them and Amon quickly decided to dig up the grave. Kaneki, having nothing to do, followed him.

'That kid's parents were killed by ghouls, right? How could they do such a thing?' Inquired Kaneki. Amon was genuinely surprised by the young ghoul's empathy towards the kid. They both got shovels and headed towards the grave where they dug it up. Under the moon-lit sky, Amon found no 696's mask. This meant that no 723 was a ghoul. 

This was an important discovery and Kaneki saw that determination is key when investigating. Kaneki said goodbye to Amon and, surprisingly enough, Amon wished him a good night. Feeling that he and Amon are getting closer, Kaneki returned to the Chateau. 

(The following Morning)

At the branch office, everyone was surprised at the actions taken by Amon and Kaneki. Mado was particularly pleased by Kaneki's actions. Even though Mado wanted to exterminate all ghouls, he didn't mind bending the rules for justice. Kaneki was one of them.

'With that, we can proceed with the extermination operation of no 723 and her daughter. Kaneki, I want you to use my quinque after this, alright?' said Mado. This surprised Kaneki because he wasn't supposed to have a quinque.

'But sir, I'm a rank 3 investigator, I'm not allowed to have a quinque yet!' said a nervous Kaneki.

'I know, but it's to get you used to use them, seeing that you never received any formal training. Also, it's a rinkaku so it would be good practice if you understand what I'm saying. With that being said, let's go killing.' Said Mado. That last part sent a chill to Kaneki's spine. Kaneki, Mado, Amon, Kusaba, and Nakajima all started walking. 

It slow started raining and they found their target. Kusaba and Nakajima started trailing a woman and her daughter. The two individuals started running and turned into a small street. Kaneki, Amon and Mado were waiting there.

' Do you have a moment, Ms. Fueguchi?'


	5. Chapter 5 The Fueguchis

Under the pouring rain, Mado and Amon were talking to Ms.Fueguchi and her daughter, whilst Kusaba and his partner were directing civilian traffic and Kaneki was observing Mado and Amon, gently holding his quinque in his pocket. Mado pulled out the mask that Amon and Kaneki uncovered the day before. Mado began speaking.

'We'd like to ask you about this.'

The little girl tightly hugged her mother. Suddenly, the mother instructed her daughter to run and she unleashed her Kagune. Kaneki was surprised, it was different from the one Rize possessed. It unleashed near her shoulder blade, meaning that the ghoul was a kokaku. The mother's kagune attempted to slash the investigators but it was too slow. Mado and Amon dodged her attacks while Kaneki was looking on. The mother was quickly defeated and kneeled on the ground.

' A mother sacrificing her life for her child, like a human... how unsightly!' Said Amon.' But I have a much better surprise.' Mado grinned wildly and opened his case. The mother's eyes widened and she began crying. 

'No, anything but this...' begged the desperate mother, tears flowing from her eyes. Kaneki looked on, not knowing what to do. Ghouls kill humans but is it right to kill them like dogs thought Kaneki. Kaneki quickly pushed those thoughts out of his mind when Mado called him.

'Kaneki, watch closely! Look at her face! The despair, hate, sadness, and weakness! I wanna see more! Any last words?' Mado asked the ghoul. The mother began with a smile and opened her mouth.' Time's up.' said Mado with a voice filled with mockery, quickly decapitating the woman in one swift motion.

(Hinami P.O.V.)

They killed mom! They killed mom! I can't stop crying! I have to go to Anteiku! Touka, please save me! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

(Narrator P.O.V.)

Hinami's eyes were filled with tears but finally arrived at Anteiku. She told Yomo with tears in her eyes. With that, they closed Anteiku and everyone assembled, waiting for Touka to arrive.

After half an hour or so Touka came. She asked the manager why the shop was closed. The manager began.

'Mrs. Fueguchi was killed by the doves.' 

Touka was shocked. Mrs. Ryoko never hurt anyone. She didn't hunt, didn't kill, tried raising Hinami on her own, yet she was still killed? The manager continued talking: 

' We asked Hinami to describe the doves. There are 5 in total. One senior investigator, one 1st rank investigator, and three 3rd rank investigators. '

'If we all fought together I'm sure we could...' Touka was soon interrupted by the manager.

'It's sad being consumed by hate and anger. What a shame.'

Touka left, not wanting to listen to the manager, and prepared her revenge on the doves.

(Back to the CCG)

After having exterminated the ghoul, the CCG was now searching for the daughter ghoul, henceforth known as no 745. Kaneki and his group had a small debrief on the subject of the daughter ghoul. Afterward, Amon, Kaneki, Nakajima, and Kusaba went eating together.

The group went to eat at a small ramen shop. Kusaba and Nakajima took their regular dish while Amon took a bowl of noodles. 

'What will you be eating Kaneki? The soba here is exquisite!' said Kusaba with a cheerful tone.

Kaneki looked at the food and it repulsed him. Everyone besides Amon was egging him to eat.

'Umm... I think I'll be having a coffee, please.' answered Kaneki. Everyone was puzzled by Kaneki's statement. The shopkeep kindly gave him a coffee and Kaneki paid, even though Kusaba and Nakajima protested. After their meal, Amon parted ways from the group, but Kaneki stayed with them. He wanted to see the inner workings of the CCG branch offices.

'Amon is really inspiring.' Kusaba began.' He really makes me want to work hard-'

Kusaba's face was split in half in a matter of seconds. His limp body fell with a thud on the floor, his glasses flipped over on the pavement. Before the Investigators was an individual donning a rabbit mask.

Kaneki quietly reached for his quinque, fear gripping his body.


	6. Chapter 6 Conviction

When Kusaba fell to the ground, Kaneki knew something was wrong. A fairly tall individual in an overcoat landed. The subjects had pink hair and a rabbit mask. Nakajima was completely overwhelmed and Kaneki wanted to throw up. The ghoul rushed towards Nakajima, but Amon pushed him out of harm's way. The ghoul was jumping and hopping in the air, kicking Amon at every opportunity. Kaneki watched from the sidelines, firmly gripping his dagger, yet not knowing what to do with it. Suddenly, the ghoul landed a blow on Amon that sent him flying. While he was on the ground, the ghoul rushed him with her kagune piercing her cloak. 

Kaneki noticed the location of the kagune and deduced it was an ukaku. While Amon was on the floor, Kaneki, out of nowhere, rushed the ghoul. The ghoul couldn't see his face. Letting out a battle cry, Kaneki lunged at the ghoul, only for a long spinal-cord looking thing to hit her, inches in front of Kaneki's face.

' Excellent Kaneki! It's with that resolve that you kill ghouls! But Amon... how could you forget your quinque?' 

Everyone turned around and saw the gaunt face of Mado. With the spinal quinque on the floor beside him, Mado proceeded to attack the ghoul again. The quinque hit the floor and barely missed the ghoul: the ghoul dodged it. Kaneki was watching how skillfully Mado used the quinque, using it to protect others and facing overpowered ghouls.

'Kaneki!'

'Yes sir!' replied the awe-struck boy

'I want you to know something: when faced with an opponent, feel free to mock them. Trash deserves to be mocked!' 

Kaneki was shocked to hear this. How could he make fun of another person in their last moments? 

The ghoul was angered by Mado's mocking and rushed at him. She attacked him with a barrage of blows and kicks, which he evaded. Mado evaded the ghoul's attacks so effortlessly that he even had time to go over the characteristics of a ukaku ghoul, mostly for Kaneki's sake. The ghoul's attacks dropped notably in speed. Noticing this, Mado twirled the quinque and slashed the ghoul, prompting her to run away. Kaneki attempted to chase after her but slowly let her go. Kaneki then went towards Amon to see if he was okay.

'Are you okay Mr. Amon?' said Kaneki while reaching out to the ghoul investigator. It was only then that he noticed the blood surrounding Amon. He was really worried about his senpai, but the blood around Amon... aroused him? Kaneki slightly retracted his hand and loomed over Amon, his eyes filled with hunger. 

Kaneki started to drool slightly. In Amon's perspective, it was like a dark figure replaced the normally introverted, polite, and shy Kaneki with a monster. Kaneki's kakugan's appeared and saw an imaginary Rize appear.

'Do it Kaaneekiiii! You're so hungry, aren't you? Look at how good he looks! Don't you want to feast on him?' said the image of Rize in his mind. She was pushing him to eat Amon, egging him on and teasing Amon, all in Kaneki's mind. In reality, Amon only saw Kaneki with his mouth watering, helpless. Mado saw what was occurring and seemed entertained, yet he would intervene if need be. In Kaneki's mind, Rize was telling him to eat Amon but, a small conscience told him no, that he shouldn't eat his coworker and friend. 

That small conscience pressured Kaneki into stopping what he was doing. Kaneki walked towards Amon and looked at him, mere inches separating their faces. Kakugan still activated, Kaneki reached towards Amon's wound on his cheek. Kaneki touched it, while Mado got his quinque ready, and said:' We need to patch you up, friend.' Kaneki surprised Amon and Mado by refusing to eat Amon. Kaneki turned to face Mado with a pained expression, tears in his eyes and biting his lip, drawing blood. Mado smiled at the young boy's resilience and how he unexpectedly fought his hunger.

'Mr. Mado, where do we go next?' said Kaneki, his painful facial expression still donning his face. 

'We are going to the CCG headquarters to get Amon checked out, and you can go to the chateau.'

'But I want to make sure that Amon is all right.' replied Kaneki, in a half determined-half whining voice. Amon was still confused at being called "friend". How could a ghoul be his friend? As time went on, he felt like Kaneki was more and more like Donato, and remained wary of him. Kaneki and co. went to the CCG headquarters all the way in the 1st ward to give a report. Secretly, Mado was impressed by his new underling, even though his quinque skills were lacking.

(Small Timeskip)

After Amon got patched up, Kaneki retreated to the chateau. At his doorstep, he saw a CCG package. Kaneki went into the house, the walls still bare, and put the box on the kitchen counter. Kaneki opened it up and saw blood in plastic containers, a letter, and some instant black coffee. Kaneki read the letter:

"Dear Mr. Kaneki,

The CCG has arranged for you a weekly amount of blood transfusions for your consumption. As you may or may not know, black coffee is the only thing aside from human meat that you can eat. We wish you luck, and if any problems arise, contact Dr. Chigyo.

\- Bureau Director, Yoshitoki Washuu."

Kaneki was shocked at the contents of the letter and box. Would he be able to drink the blood? He wasn't killing humans but still, was it better?

Kaneki knew that no one was hurt to get the blood transfusion, but would he be able to drink the blood? Was he truly a monster?

Kaneki remembered what happened with Amon a few hours ago. Did he want that to happen again? Even though Amon didn't consider it that way, Kaneki viewed him as a friend. Kaneki made his choice.

Kaneki opened up one of the plastic containers with blood and drank it. It felt like sweet nectar pouring down his throat. If God made ghouls unable to eat human food, instead he gave them this. Kaneki stopped drinking and went to sleep, preparing for another day, but was still somewhat disturbed from the events that transpired today.


	7. Chapter 7 Calm before the storm

Kaneki woke up in the chateau. Because of yesterday's meal, Kaneki's hunger was slightly quenched. Kaneki had to prepare for another day in the 20th ward. He got dressed and put his quinque in his jackets' pocket. Kaneki took the train and arrived in the 20th ward. Walking towards the office, Kaneki noticed a schoolgirl with glasses walking alongside him. Thinking none of it, Kaneki opened the front door for her and let her through. Kaneki went to the elevator and went up. Upstairs, he walked through a long corridor, the wall on his left orned with tall windows. In the hallway, all the investigators went to the side when they saw Kaneki. 

It appeared that rumors travel quickly in the walls of the CCG. Kaneki could hear people talking behind his back, whispering, murmuring. Everyone around looked at him differently. Kaneki, being shy and anxious, hurried his pace and rushed to Mado's office. When Kaneki opened the door, he was greeted by the familiar faces of Mado and Amon. Amon silently glared at Kaneki. Amon had a bandage over his right eye due to the injuries he received yesterday. Kaneki quietly sat down on a chair facing a computer with a sad expression. Today Mado was going to teach him how to access ghoul files and indexes. Mado, being as perceptive as usual, noticed Kaneki's demeanor.

'Kaneki, are you sick? You don't look good.

'I'm fine sir..' Kaneki replied, even though the look on his face betrayed his statement.

'So Kaneki, do you know how does the ghoul rating system work?' Inquired Mado, still silently observing the young investigator.

'Not really no. I didn't go to the academy so...'

'It's fine. Amon, would you do the explaining?'

Amon simply nodded and began his lecture. As usual, Amon's posture was impeccable and he had that determined look on his face. Kaneki, who was much shorter, had to look up at his senpai.

' First of all, rank determines how strong a ghoul is. Ranks go from C to A, then from S to SSS. For example, the "Mother Ghoul", also known as number 723, we encountered yesterday was a C or B-rate ghoul. The "Rabbit" ghoul is probably more of an A to S-rate ghoul.'

Kaneki was surprised that the Rabbit was that strong.

'And what about the SSS-rate ghouls?' Inquired Kaneki.

At this Mado stood up. 'SSS-rate ghouls are rare, the latest one we encountered was 10 years ago. I will kill it.' Mado's glare suddenly became more intense and insane, with his eye bulging and the other squinting. Kaneki understood that this was a sensitive subject. He also saw that Mado touched his left hand as if there was a deeper meaning behind it.

'But how do we defeat such powerful ghouls then?' asked Kaneki with a confused look.

'Simple. The key is to remain cunning. We have to "splash tar on the track". Said Mado with a small smile.

Kaneki's mouth opened but Mado glared at hi, not a mean glare, and continued. ' It's said that the strength of a ghoul is between 4 and 7 times stronger than that of a human. Humans aren't designed the same way. A small car will never beat a racecar on the same track. So, as I said before, we "splash tar on the track". If it's for the right cause, even low blows are allowed. The best example is the quinque.'

Kaneki was listening intently, absorbing what Mado said. 'This, of course, doesn't apply to you as much, you proved that during your spar with Amon.'

Kaneki cringed at the thought of him breaking Doujima. 'Speaking of spars, Amon, would you want to spar with Kaneki again. He needs to improve his reflexes and hand-to-hand combat.'

Kaneki's face fell. He really didn't want to go through another grueling session with the monster that was Koutarou Amon.

' Of course, I would Investigator Mado.' Turning to Kaneki, he said 'Let's go.'

Kaneki was trotting behind Amon, who was walking in a steadfast fashion. Mado looked at them leave but quickly called out. 'Kaneki, take this!' Mado gave him an attaché case. Because Kaneki looked confused, Mado explained what it was. 'It's Fueguchi 1. Try to start practicing with it and get used to the mechanics of quinques in general.' Kaneki nodded and had to run to catch up with Amon.

Amon and Kaneki had the awkwardest and the most silent elevator ride ever. It was so uncomfortable. After an excruciating 2 minutes, they finally got to the training facility within the 20th ward's branch office. Amon took his jacket off and got into a fighting stance. Mado's instructions ringed in his ears. 'Kaneki, let's do hand-to-hand combat first, then we'll do quinque training.' Kaneki tentatively nodded.

Without a moment's notice, Amon rushed into Kaneki. Amon quickly punched him right in the stomach. Kaneki stumbled to the ground, only for Amon to kick him in the ribs and send him flying. Kaneki was lying on the floor, gasping for breath. 

'Fight me seriously Kaneki. You don't seem to be under pressure. The CCG cant use a "useless" asset can it?' said Amon.

Amon then proceeded to bend, then break, Kaneki's index finger. Kaneki let out a sharp scream. Out of fear, he let out his kagune to shield himself. Amon's eyes widened, but Kaneki's kagune started to disappear anyway. His broken finger also started healing. Amon looked at it with a sort of morbid fascination.

Amon broke the silence. 'Try to dodge more. Don't be afraid to hit or kick. Your ghoul strength will compensate for your lack of technique at the moment, but we'll start training now.'

Kaneki sighed at started sparring with Amon, in a very one-sided fight.

(1-hour Timeskip)

Kaneki was sweating like a dog. He had his back on the hard wooden floor of the training room, much like the one in the chateau. Amon was also sweating, but drinking a water bottle and squatting down in front of Kaneki.

' Are you ready for your Quinque training?'

Kaneki really wasn't looking forward to it, holding the remains of a dead person, and also fighting Amon more.

'Ummm... Amon. Am I not supposed to have a quinque? I'm not a s-second class Investigator yet so...'

'As a third-class Investigator you can't own a quinque, but you can use one to practice. And I'm sure that Mado will bend the rules a bit for you.' Amon said that last part with a bit of a sigh but still glared at Kaneki.

Kaneki stood up, walked to the wall where the attaché case was lying. He took it and stood in front of Amon.

' First thing's first: quinques are the most effective tools to dispense justice. They will help you eliminate ghouls. Don't rely too much on them though. To release the quinque, all you have to do is open the case.'

'That is Fueguchi One. It's a rinkaku, like you, and a powerful quinque. Normally beginners start with bikakus, like Scorpion, but you need to know how to use a quinque so that'll do.'

Kaneki nodded and was listening to Amon with apt attention. Amon started again.

'Nobody can really teach you how to properly use a quinque, because they're all unique in their own way, but the similarities between them can help you out more in the future. I'll let you figure it out, tell me when you're ready to show me what you can do with it.'

Kaneki was kind of shocked that he would need to figure it out by himself. He looked at his weapon at tentatively flicked it to the left. Kaneki was surprised when the quinque went to the left at an alarming speed. He then pushed it forward. The spinal cord weapon shot all the way to the wall like an arrow and implanted itself in the wall, cracks forming around it. Kaneki pulled the quinque back so it would be by his side. He looked at it and it glowed a red hue for a bit. Kaneki tried to ricochet the quinque off the floor many times, like skipping stones off the water. He used too much force though, and the quinque flew out of his hands. He ran to get it back. This time he tried to make it go around him, like a lasso. This worked and Kaneki was smiling with his usual nervous smile.

For around 45 minutes, he was seeing what he could do with it and tried to get used to the weapon. It was going rarely well, with a few screw-ups here and there. Unbeknownst to him, Mado came and was silently watching and admiring his underling's work. Wielding a real quinque (Scorpion is a beginner's quinque) and getting the hang of it took time, but it appeared that Kaneki was getting more comfortable with it. Mado stepped forward and called for Kaneki to come.

'Kaneki, we have a lead on the daughter ghoul, we need to go there. I also left a surprise to make things more entertaining.'

Kaneki nodded and put back the quinque in its case, and giving it to Mado. Mado gave a nod of acknowledgment and Kaneki was gathering his things, making sure he had Scorpion with him.

The trio walked out of the office and went to the river near Kasahara elementary school. The trio split up, with Mado going under the bridge and Amon and Kaneki patrolling the riverbank in search of the ghoul.

And so it begins.


	8. Chapter 8 Rabbit & Crow (Part 1)

While Mado was going under the bridge, Kaneki and Amon were surveilling the riverbanks. Kaneki had his trusted Scorpion in his pocket and Amon had Kura in his attaché case. Their role was simple: to apprehend all ghouls and/or to see if this tip was real or not. Apparently Mado planted something "special" under the bridge, so the odds of the "Daughter Ghoul" coming were better.

The air was damp and humid like it always is before it rains. The dark sky was only illuminated by the full moon, a rare occurrence. The sounds of the rushing water were becoming white noise, and the natural sounds of Tokyo could be heard blaring in the distance. 

Amon and Kaneki were standing side by side, with Kaneki slightly behind Amon. They were both in investigator uniforms, the wind blowing their hair and coats back. Amon was wearing his usual gray suit and pale green tie, his silver crucifix around his neck, accompanied by a grayish/whitish trenchcoat.

Kaneki was in a black suit with a white shirt and a turquoise tie. The CCG gave him a gray trenchcoat. All he had to wear was a suit, which made him slightly uncomfortable like he was out of place. The suit wasn't his clothes, it was an Investigator's clothes. Not the one of a literature student from Kamii university. He wondered what would Hide say if he saw him. Speaking of which, he hasn't seen him in a while. But Hide couldn't know about him, about what he had become.

The thought of his past friends and life always depressed Kaneki. Kaneki silently closed his fist and squeezed hard.

There was a long and uncomfortable silence between the two, which deeply unnerved Kaneki. Kaneki made many attempts at conversation but it backfired. It seems that Amon was made of stone. Kaneki decided to try one last time.

' Ummm... so Amon, what's your favorite food?'

Amon's eyes widened in surprise and his eyebrows raised.

' I'd say doughnuts maybe. I'm not a fan of spicy food like Mado.'

' Mado likes spicy food?' asked Kaneki in a quizzical tone.

' The extra-spicy curry for him is "mild".'

That little nugget of information deeply disturbed Kaneki. He had a newfound respect for Mado. He could also see that Amon had a slight smirk on his face. This talk about food made him reminisce about the past, especially his mother's hamburger steak.

' When I was little, my mom used to make me hamburger steak. I loved it so much. I'd love to taste it again but...'

The conversation took a sour turn real quick. Amon nodded in understanding, how Kaneki couldn't eat the food he used to love. The deafening silence was interrupted by a ring from Amon's phone.

Amon answered the phone. Kaneki couldn't hear it.

' The bridge ear Kasahara? We're on our way!! We'll see you there!.'

Amon nodded at Kaneki and they quickly ran. Kaneki was barely keeping up, but managed to follow Amon. Then, a figure appeared.

This man was in a long dark gray overcoat with four hook rings on his right serving as buttons. He had a crow-like mask with dark goggles, making it impossible to see his face or eyes. His overcoat had a hoodie, with the hoodie covering his head. The only thing that they could notice were some silver-like locks behind the man's ears.

Kaneki gulped.

(Meanwhile with Mado)

While Amon and Kaneki were intercepted by the mysterious figure, Mado was facing the "Rabbit" and the "Daughter" ghouls.

The rabbit was a teenage girl of medium height with black hair, with a bang covering her right eye. 

'So, you were the one that came with the eyewitness report? Spreading false information to disrupt the investigation, what a crude plan.'

Mado was monologuing while slowly walking up to the pair of ghouls. The atmosphere under the bridge was damp and dark. The gravel under his feet crunched while he made his way towards the girls.

'But then I realized it was all for the "Daughter" ghoul's sake. If you killed us, the only people to have seen her face, the investigation would've been greatly hindered. So then little Fueguchi here could go scot-free and live a peaceful life like before.'

Now Mado bore a huge sadistic smile, coupled with his usual eyes bulging and squinting.

'It disgusts me, a monster wishing for a peaceful life.' Then he looked at Hinami straight in the eyes.' Did you enjoy my gift? You fell for my trap, right? Hahaha! You miss your mother?' Mado added the last past with plenty of venom, his mocking tone bringing Hinami to tears. 

The "Rabbit" was angered by Mado's comments and lunged at him. Mado reacted in time and took out his quinque, Fueguchi One.

Mado flicked the quinque so that it would attack the Rabbit, but she dodged and pinned out of the quinque's reach.

'Impressive! You're no small fry!' Mado used the quinque to cut sideways at the rabbit, but she dodged. The quinque was lodged in a pillar. 'I'm sure you would've become a ghoul like the OWL all those years ago!'

The quinque was still lodged in the pillar. Unable to move it, he threw it away and took out Fueguchi Two.

Fueguchi Two was a Koukaku, so he used it as a shield. The angered Rabbit lept into the air and punched Fueguchi Two, while the ghoul brat was crying.

' You have many flaws Rabbit, you are impulsive and short-sighted as usual. You are also especially careless. So you will DIE!' Mado was getting increasingly sadistic, with literal rage coating his words. He used one of the "petals" of Fueguchi Two to stab the Rabbit in the abdomen.

' That's it! Scream Louder!' Mado was in a euphoric state, being able to wipe the floor with the trash that is, soon was, the Rabbit.

' It was such a pleasure to slaughter Ryoko Fueguchi with her husband's kagune! So, which one will I use to end you, Rabbit?'

'You're dead, old man...' The rabbit was bleeding, with hot blood trickling from her mouth.

' Trash like you don't deserve to live. Why do you live while committing such sins?'

' Whats... What's wrong with wanting to live? We were all given life, given a chance. If we can only eat humans, then that's what we'll do. What else are we going to do? TELL ME!' The Rabbit was now getting angry, letting out all of her "emotions". ' You humans think that you're so much better than us, but would you do the same if you were a ghoul? Die asshole!"

There was a long silence, only filled with some "die asshole" coming out of the rabbit's mouth. She continued talking.

' Even ghouls... Even I wish we could live like you guys!'

Mado was still there, listening to what the ghoul was saying.

' I've heard enough. Die!'

(Back to Amon & Kaneki, a couple of minutes ago)

Amon and Kaneki were both staring down the man in the crow/raven mask. There was a deafening silence while the pair of investigators were gripping their quinques.

Was the man a ghoul, or some prankster trying to garner attention? The man didn't move, but the investigators were growing restless. Finally, Amon spoke.

' We are investigators of the CCG, and we're in the middle of an investigation. We would like for you to leave if you are not a ghoul, or we may use force.'

The stranger replied with silence. Amon stepped forward, quinque in hand while Kaneki was watching from the back. Suddenly, Amon lunged at the stranger, but he dodged, letting Amon skid a bit forward. The stranger was immobile. The pupils of the raven mask were obscure, the darkness shining in the moonlight. Small raindrops started falling, with the raindrops glistening on the man's mask.

Kaneki spoke up. ' A-Amon. I was studying the ghoul countermeasure laws and under Article 12, Section 1: "A species, against which special precautions should be taken, known as ghouls, are distinct in that it is confirmed that they can produce Kakugan and Kagune". We don't know for sure if the man is a ghoul or not so...'

Amon was surprised that Kaneki already started memorizing the laws, but he was a fast learner. But what Kaneki was saying is right. But Amon had a trick up his sleeve.

' You are absolutely right Kaneki, but if this "Raven" is a human then under Article 88, Section 1 "Persons harboring or otherwise preventing the arrest of a ghoul will be severely punished." So we can legally arrest this unknown individual.

Kaneki's mouth gaped slightly and nodded furiously. 

While all of this legal knowledge was unfolding, the "Raven" was just standing there, paying no heed to the discussion.

In the darkness though, they saw something shine from the suspects' mask. A red light was emanating, and the investigators immediately noticed what it was: Kakugan.

This... this will be troublesome.

Part 1 of 2!

Author's Note: At the time of writing this, this fic has 200 views! Quite the milestone!


	9. Chapter 9 Chapter 8 Rabbit & Crow (Part 2)

As the man's kakugan flared, the two investigators got ready. Amon was gripping Kura and Kaneki was holding, somewhat loosely, Scorpion.

(Kaneki P.O.V)

In front of me is a ghoul. He seems more powerful. He has this dark aura surrounding him, like if he was made to drive fear into me. I... I want to prove myself to Amon and Mado. I don't want t..to to be alone.

Breathe in. Calm down. 

(End of Kaneki P.O.V)

Kaneki looks at Amon with a tentative stare. Amon nods and charges, Kura in his hands. Amon charges forwards and tries to deal a sweeping blow to the ghoul, but the ghoul jumps and evades the attack.

The ghoul lands softly on his feet a couple of feet behind his original spot. Amon charges on the right and Kaneki on the left, Scorpion in hand. "Raven" sweeps his leg under Kaneki, making him fall on his back. On his back though, Kaneki still manages to kick "Raven".

Kaneki scurried backward and managed to get back up. The duo was starting to get breathless. They managed to only land a few hits on him.

' Kaneki, I want you to rush forwards and try to stab him, while I go for the head. You got it?'

Kaneki nervously nodded. This wasn't going to end well. Kaneki mustered up all of his courage and went forward, Scorpion in hand. (BTW, Scorpion is the name of Kaneki's quinque, in case you forgot.)

Everything was going in slow motion for Kaneki. Whilst he was charging forwards, Kaneki thought about Hide, Amon, and Mado, the people in his life that save him from loneliness. Even though Amon didn't reciprocate his attempts to build a friendship, Amon did help him. 

These past few weeks were interesting, being thrust into a new different world. But Kaneki still wanted to help Amon out.

And so, Kaneki ran to the ghoul and managed to graze his shoulder with Scorpion. Amon followed through by swing Kura down on the ghoul, but he dodged.

Were they going to die here? Killed by a ghoul? Kaneki could use his kagune, but he would need to feed.

Kaneki walked backward, to where Amon was.

' Amon, can I activate my Kakugan? Asked Kaneki, in a low, hushed voice. Amon seemed a bit shocked at the question, but he slowly nodded. Kaneki nodded back and activated it, the kakugan being shielded by his white medical eyepatch.

With his newfound speed and power, Kaneki rushed forward and tried to kick "Raven". Raven of course dodged, but "Raven" knew that something was off. Amon and Kaneki were coordinating their attacks, but the ghoul just dodged them. It seemed as if it was futile.

' Amon... I-I can't defeat him, not like this. But if I used it, maybe we could have a chance...'

Amon seemed disturbed by the question but inside, he agreed. The ghoul before them was dodging all of their attacks, without even breaking a sweat.

'Amon... I haven't eaten in a while. To use it, I'd need to.... take a bite out of you. Do you mind?'

Yes. Yes, Amon did mind. But desperate times require desperate measures. Kaneki went behind Amon, and bit his shoulder, much to the shock of "Raven". 

Such a succulent taste. It was like God's gift to ghouls. The delicious taste flooded his mouth and overwhelmed his senses. It was pure undiluted ecstasy for Kaneki.

At that moment, Kaneki released his kagune and speared ahead towards the ghoul. Surprised, "Raven" didn't have time to react, and Kaneki impaled him with his three rinkaku tentacles through the stomach. Amon quickly followed Kaneki's attack and separated Kura into two. He wielded half of Kura in each hand and managed to hit "Raven" in both of his arms, while Kaneeki's kagune was holding him in place.

Blood trickled out of "Raven's" mouth and tried to move out of Kaneki's kagune's grasp. He managed to get free, and Amon was too exhausted to chase after him. "Raven" disappeared into the night, leaving Amon alone with Kaneki, with his Kagune retracting.

' Should we chase after him senpai?' Asked Kaneki.

' No. It would be a waste of time. We need to assist Mado.'

Amon was clutching his shoulder, the hot blood tainting his white button-down shirt. He was in a lot of pain and Kaneki sent him a worried glance, some of Amon's blood still on his lips. 

' I promise I'm fine Kaneki. You did what you needed to do. I don't blame you.'

Kaneki nodded but still seemed remorseful. The two of them were continuing their trek to the underpass where Mado was.

For some reason, Kaneki felt that something bad was happening.

( Back to Mado, a couple of minutes beforehand)

While Mado pinned "Rabbit" to a pillar, his quinque disappeared.

' Did my quinque disappear? Oh. It's my right hand that disappeared.

The "daughter" ghoul was crying, while her kagune was activated. Two large petal-like koukaku and two spinal cord-like rinkakus: a chimera kagune.

' Please, don't hurt her anymore. Don't kill her like you killed my parents!!' 

The young girl used her rinkaku kagunes to attack Mado, while he was laughing. The investigator was dodging her attacks, which were destroying the surrounding pillars.

Using Fueguchi Two, he pierced one of her koukaku petals.

' Amazing! You inherited the best qualities of your parents' kagunes. What a fabulous kagune!! I want it!!" 

Mado was in a crazed and frenzied state over the girl's kagune. She was still crying, not that he cared.

' Fueguchi Two is too heavy! So I'll use the other! Give me your Kagune!!'

Mado flicked Fueguchi One to attack her, but she wrapped her rinkaku to stop the incoming attack. She then lifted the man up and sliced his left leg off with her rinkaku.

' Incredible! I want you to be my quinque. You belong with your family...' Said Mado as he hobbled forwards. The "Rabbit" ghoul pressed the "daughter" ghoul to kill him.

' I can't do it.' Said the young girl.

' Hinami, he killed your parents, and I don't know how much longer I can ...' Responded the "Rabbit"

' I was thinking that if I killed him, my sadness would go away. But it won't. I'm just sad. I want to be with them again. I'm so lonely.'

' Give it a rest!' Screamed Mado, Fueguchi One in his unamputated hand.

The "Rabbit" acted fast and quickly slit his throat.

Mado tumbled and fell in the murky water, blood guzzling out of his throat.

' I...I let myself be killed by a ghoul... damn it. You ghouls don't deserve to live. Your existence doesn't have any value. Damned ghouls.'

Mado continued to spit out blood as he spoke.

' It's not over... you have to pay... until I kill the one-eyed... with my own hands. I can't die yet.'

While uttering these words with increasing difficulty, he was crawling his way to the "Rabbit" ghoul, blood dripping out of his mouth, staining his gloves.

( Kureo Mado's inner thoughts)

It seems that I will be joining you, Kasuka. I didn't fulfill my revenge. I'm sorry Amon. You'll be a fine investigator. I'm sure of it. With your tenacity and will, I'm sure that you will surpass any challenge before you. Kaneki, as long as you don't lose sight of your humanity, everything will be fine. I can see that you're shaping up to be an amazing investigator. You just need to be braver.

Akira... I'm sorry. I hope you won't be miserable without me. I love you.

( End of Kureo Mado's inner thoughts)

Just as Senior Investigator Kureo Mado's life ended, the "Rabbit" ghoul, that we, the readers, know as Touka, stepped closer to him.

' A glove?' 

Touka kicked the investigator out of anger when she saw the glove.

' You can't even touch us with your bare hands?'

She ripped the glove off and saw a disturbing sight: a wedding ring. This man had a family. 

Yomo soon came and instructed Touka and Hinami to leave with him, letting Touka think about her actions.

A few minutes later, Amon and Kaneki arrived. At the sight of Mado, their breath hitched. Amon quietly stumbled to where Mado rested and closed his eyes.

Amon howled out of sheer agony over the loss of his mentor, friend, and father figure.

Behind Amon stood Kaneki, letting out a constant, yet silent stream of tears.

After a couple of minutes of mourning, Amon looked back and saw Kaneki wiping his tears. At that moment, something clicked within Amon, and he understood that Kaneki was not a monster. He was the same as him, and he knew that Kaneki must be feeling awful after Mado's death. But Amon kept his thoughts to himself.


	10. Chapter 10 Aftermath

A few days later, at the CCG headquarters in the 1st ward

After the death of Senior Investigator Kureo Mado, a funeral service was held. Many people attended, such as Special Investigators Marude, Arima, and Shinohara. Amon and Kaneki were to the side, clad in black. Kaneki was sniffling a bit while Amon was dead silent, both of them mourning the loss of their mentor. For the two investigators, it was like time stopped, but everything around them was still buzzing. Investigators going to missions, ghouls being tracked, and the normal hustle and bustle of the headquarters.

Amon was reminiscing of the time he first met Mado, on the "Applehead" case, and his past blunders. Kaneki was thinking about how the investigator accepted him, even though he was a ghoul or part ghoul at least. Kaneki only had Hide, and he led a lonely life, but he got to meet Amon and Mado, and they were a welcome addition to his social circle, but Mado was robbed of him.

Special Investigator Shinohara approached Amon and Kaneki, snapping the both of them out of their thoughts.

' How are you doing, you big crybaby?'

' Shinohara?' Said Amon, clearly surprised.

' Were you crying like a girl again?'

' Sir, can you not...'

' Haha! Want me to drill you like back then?'

Shinohara then turned to Kaneki. ' And you're the new 3rd rank Investigator, right? Can you please remind me of your name?'

' I'm 3rd rank Investigator Ken Kaneki.' Said Kaneki, a bit nervous. Kaneki gulped and tentatively offered his hand for a handshake, which Shinohara responded.

' So how's the CCG treating you? Getting used to it?'

' Yeah, everything's fine. Amon and Mado helped me out a lot.'

' I'm sorry to hear about Mado, we were old friends.' 

Kaneki nodded at Shinohara's words. Soon after, a man appeared saying that Shinohara's partner, who was apparently called Juzo, was causing a mess.

Shinohara left, but before that he said ' Amon, Mado was proud of you. Don't forget that.'

Shinohara left, but not before Amon said: ' It was an honor working with you too, Kureo Mado.'

After a couple of minutes of silence between Amon and Kaneki, Amon turned around and faced Kaneki.

' Kaneki, I think Mado would have wanted this for you. It's yours now.' Amon handed him a large briefcase, obviously containing a quinque inside. ' I know that 3rd rank Investigators aren't supposed to have quinques, but still... here. It's Fueguchi One. The rinkaku. It seemed you had good chemistry with it.'

Kaneki's eyes widened and took the briefcase with a shaking hand, before looking up and smiling at Amon.

' Thanks!'

Amon stood up and was going to leave, but Kaneki grabbed his arm.

' Umm... Amon, would you like to get coffee with me?'

Amon turned around and smiled. 'Not at all, but not now Kaneki.'

' Why?'

Because you need to work with your partner remember? Your partner is Associate Special Class Investigator Koori Ui. He's in charge of the 4th ward, so go to the CCG branch office there. And don't forget your quinque.'

Kaneki nodded and smiled. After waving at Amon, who waved back, Kaneki headed to the 4th ward, to meet his first official partner. What does the future await?


	11. Chapter 11 Associate Special Class Koori Ui

Kaneki took the train all the way to the 4th ward where his new "official" partner was. He was only supposed to learn the basics of quinques under Mado, which did happen. With his new quinque in hand, Fueguchi One, Kaneki stepped out of the train car and arrived at the 4th ward's train station.

After walking for a good half hour or so, getting lost numerous times, Kaneki finally arrived at the 4th ward's CCG branch office. Like all CCG offices, it had a lot of glass panes, but other than that, it was unremarkable, aside for its height.

Kaneki walked in the lobby of the building and went to the reception area. After asking directions from a rather cute receptionist (he had to control himself to not salivate a bit at the sight of her luscious body), Kaneki walked towards the elevator. Some quaint muzak was playing in the crowded elevator. ( By your side elevator music)

Kaneki got out of the elevator and walked to a nearby office. Just before entering, Kaneki straightened his tie, just in case, and fiddled with his fingers.

Kaneki finally knocked on the door, and heard an "enter". He opened the door and was greeted by a fairly young man with dark hair styled into a glossy, black bob that falls down, nearing his chin, before it stops. His fringe, however, halts as it reaches his eyebrows, framing his eyes. He looked to be around his mid-late twenties.

Kaneki stood straight, albeit in a nervous fashion, and introduced himself. ' I'm 3rd rank Investigator Ken Kaneki. I'll be serving under you, sir!'

The introduction was somewhat forced and too energetic, but the man smiled and got up to walk to Kaneki. Shaking his hand, the man introduced himself. ' I'm Associate Special Class Investigator Koori Ui. I'll be your partner from now on.'

Koori shook his hand with surprising strength, given his fairly slim and androgynous build. He was wearing black slacks, coupled with a white dress shirt, a collarless and sleeveless vest, which reminded Kaneki of those bartenders in old movies, and a string bow tie. He had a small scent of tobacco lingering over him, but it was not overpowering.

Letting go of his hand, Koori walked back to his desk. Next to his desk was an empty one, and Kaneki correctly guessed it would be his from now on.

' First of all, call me Koori, second of all I'm sorry to hear about your previous partner.'

Kaneki nodded and felt a twinge of sadness at the mention of Mado. If only he was stronger, if only he was faster if only he was...

' Lastly, I know of your "condition". Please remind me; what Rc type are you?'

' I'm a rinkaku sir.'

Koori nodded in a slow manner when he learned of that information. There was an awkward silence between the two, that was interrupted by Koori coughing.

' So, under me, you will learn how to conduct investigations, all the formations that we use, the rules, and the protocols, as well as polishing your fighting and quinque skills.'

' Ummm even though I'm not supposed to have one, Investigator Mado gave me this quinque as a parting gift. Is that ok?'

' It's fine to practice with it, but you can't take it on investigations.'

Kaneki nodded and asked another question.

' So which ghoul are we investigating?'

' I'm glad you asked. We are tasked with investigating The Ghoul Restaurant.'

Kaneki gulped at the sound of the ominous name.

' Is it an individual or...'

' Oh no, the Ghoul Restaurant is an organization of ghouls with hundreds of members. It has links to the black market, human trafficking, and many powerful ghouls, especially wealthy ones. There are several locations, so we need to gather enough information on one location, so we can raid it.'

Kaneki slowly nodded and sat his desk, with a computer screen in front of him. He started reviewing known ghouls that were linked to the Ghoul Restaurant, trying to get an idea of his opponents.

Kaneki saw a large number of names within the CCG database, but only a couple stood out: SS-rate "Big Madam" and S-rate "Gourmet". Both of them were still at large.

' Mr. Ui, do you know...'

' Just Koori.'

' Ah! Sorry, my bad. Koori, do you know anything about these two ghouls?'

Koori looked at a sheet that Kaneki just printed, containing the information of "Big Madam" and the "Gourmet".

' Yes. The "Gourmet" is under investigation by Associate Special Investigator Houji and his partner. "Big Madam" has been a thorn in the CCG's side for many years. We've tried many times to exterminate her, but they all ultimately failed.'

Kaneki gulped at this information. His imagination ran wild, thinking of what atrocities "Big Madam" committed to become an SS-rate.

To change his thoughts, Kaneki went down the hallway and bought cans of instant coffee. On his own, he discovered that Blondi™ was the best type of coffee in general, be it instant or grounded. In all, he bought six cans; one for Koori and the rest for him.

' Here you go, Mr. Koori!' Kaneki said as he plopped the coffee can in front of him.

Koori squinted his eyes a little when he saw the amount of coffee Kaneki had bought but dropped the subject. ' Thank you Kaneki. And it's just Koori.'

' Sorry again sir.'

' Well if you have time to spend buying coffee, then I'm sure you have time to fill out paperwork. So when you have a ghoul file, you...'

(A painful and boring 3 hours later)

' Aaaannndd I'm done! I'm sending the documents to you Koori!'

' Thanks, Kaneki. Would you like to go to training with me?'

Kaneki gulped. Koori was his new boss and wanted to make a good impression, but still felt a bit nervous around him.

' I-I guess...'

' Great! Come with me then. We'll talk on the way down. And take your quinque with you.'

Kaneki rushed to take his quinque, and quickly caught up to Ui, panting a little.

The two were side by side in the hallway before Koori started talking to Kaneki.

' So I'm going to give you a run-down on how the CCG works okay. You didn't go to the academy, so I'll go from square one. Please try to remember these crucial details.'

Kaneki nodded and was listening intently.

' First and foremost, the CCG was founded by the Washuu family. Getting that out of the way, there are two types of Investigators: Field directors, as you and I, and Bureau directors. We do the actual ghoul eliminating, and we all go through the academy, save for some exceptions. After spending two years in the academy, we start as rank 2 Investigators. Instead of the academy, the Bureau Investigators go to the Ghoul Countermeasure training center for a year. They can't use quinques and only assist us, but they can climb in rank.'

' Koori, what are the ranks of the CCG?'

' Glad you asked. If you're asking about us field Investigators it's: rank 3 < rank 2 < rank 1 < senior < associate special class < Special class. Rank 3 field investigators like yourself are fairly rare. They do exist but in a very small number. Ranks 3 to 1 are part of Division II. You need to be partnered with a senior Investigator or higher, which are all in Division I. So a rank 1 partnered with a rank 2 is not permitted, but a Special Class Investigator paired with an Associate Special Class or lower is.'

By this time the two of them were in the elevator, and Koori pressed the button on the designated floor they had to go to.

' Ghoul/field Investigators are only posted in wards 1 and 24 but are moved to different wards due to positions or cases. For example, you came to the 4th ward because I'm the head of the 4th ward, and you went to the 20th because you were chasing a ghoul there. In the future, if we're no longer partnered up, you'll be assigned to the 1st ward and wait for your assignments there. Bureau investigators are assigned to wards 2-23 permanently, or at least for a long time.'

' Koori, there is no 24th ward. So how can we...'

' The 24th ward isn't an actual ward. It's simply what we call the vast underground that the Tokyo ghouls built in the past. Most of it is unknown and the residents are more powerful and vicious than the standard ghoul. '

This information gave Kaneki the creeps. Just thinking about hundreds of ghouls living below him unnerved Kaneki. To break him away from his thoughts, the elevator pinged and opened to the floor they wanted to go to.

After a short walk, both of them arrived in the training room. Koori took his vest off and Kaneki took his white trench coat off. Both of them were facing each other off.

' Kaneki, this will be a spar to test your abilities. Go!'

Kaneki stalled for a couple of seconds before charging at Koori and throwing a right hook. Using his agility, Koori dodged the punch at the last second by slightly turning to the left. Kaneki skidded forward a bit and almost fell flat on his face. His training with Amon paid off, however, and sent a kick back, one that Koori dodged by jumping over it. 

Kaneki turned around and tried to land a hit over and over on Koori, but he just failed. He was always sent flying back. Koori was extremely agile and flexible, being able to dodge all of his attacks with ease, even in the tightest of positions. 

' Kaneki, that's good enough. You can dodge fairly well, and your punches have some weight behind them, but that's about it. You don't have any consistency or coordination. We'll work on that. Now take out your quinque.'

As Kaneki rushed to get his quinque from the sidelines, Koori grabbed his   
Taruhi.

Taruhi was a halberd-like kokaku, with an A+ rating  
Kaneki took out Fueguchi One and faced Koori off.

' So Kaneki, let's go over the basics of quinque handling: first off, quinques are all unique, so it's up to the user to learn how to use his. So...'

(2-hour Timeskip)

Kaneki was in a puddle of sweat while Koori loomed over him, Taruhi in hand. Kaneki felt like he got a bit better during his spars with Koori, but this man was a beast. Expert swordsmanship and superhuman agility and reflexes were what made Koori an excellent investigator.

Kaneki slowly stood up and put Fueguchi One in his case.

' Koori, I have a question. Can I name Fueguchi One?'

'You are the owner of it, but you can't wield it yet. I guess you can. Why?'

' I just think that Fueguchi One is a bit... robotic? Not very literary at least.'

Koori chuckled. ' So you want something more poetic? Have you thought about a name?'

' I believe the original ghoul's name was Asaki, as in アサキ in katakana, but I don't know it's kanji. So maybe use new kanji for Asaki.'

' I like the idea. Not many people put so much thought into their quinques names.'

' I'll probably name it旭軌. 旭 as in "morning sun", which is a book from one of my favorite authors, and 軌 as in "trajectories", like how the quinque works.'

Koori laughed again. ' I like the idea. So Asaki (旭軌) it is. I'm sure there's paperwork involved so I'll send it to you.'

Kaneki nodded, then Koori spoke again. ' Tomorrow we'll continue investigating, but we're done for today. Also, you are allowed to go back to your apartment in the 20th ward and retrieve any belongings that you would like to transport to the Chateau. You can't tell anyone of your ghoul status and try to keep the fact that you work for the CCG a secret. You are dismissed. Put your quinque back in the office.'

Kaneki nodded and rushed to put his quinque back. He also dropped off his trenchcoat so he was in a normal suit. He then went to the nearest train station to go to the 20th ward.

( At Anteiku)

The door creaked in the lounge as Yomo walked in. Yoshimura was looking outside through the blinds, letting the yellow light creep in.

' Were you there when Touka fought the investigators Manager?'

' I was.'

' Then did you see that. I'm positive that that was a kagune, not a quinque. Is there a ghoul working for the CCG?'

' I'm not sure, but we must treat this "Eyepatch Investigator" carefully. Tell the others that if a youth with black hair and an eyepatch enter, then they should be wary.'

'Of course Mr. Yoshimura.'


	12. Chapter 12 Hide and Anteiku

Kaneki stepped out of the train at the 20th wards' train station. It was good to be back "home", but after what happened with Mado, sadness lingered in the air. 

Kaneki beelined to his house and opened the door for the first time in months. After getting the mail and demands for rent, Kaneki opened the door to his apartment, his house, his sanctuary, his...

God, it was fucking dusty. After 1 month of neglect, the apartment was in disrepair. Kaneki immediately threw out the trash, the rotten food, and the food that wasn't expired yet. He took out two bags and put in the first bag his clothes and semi-valuables, and in the other were all of his books. Without the two, his room was pretty bare and nothing really was left. He looked at himself in the mirror: 18 years old, in a suit, eyepatch covering his left eye, dropped out of college to kill ghouls, much to his chagrin, and with two bags of his valuables. He looked somewhat ridiculous but he didn't care that much. 

He opened the door with difficulty and squeezed out of the room. He looked back at his apartment, and turned his back on it, like how he turned away from his previous life in favor of being a ghoul and working for the CCG.

Trudging along the sidewalk, Kaneki walks back to the station. He's in his own world until he sees something. A young adult with blond hair and dark roots. His smile is as blinding as the sun.

Hide.

Of all people Kaneki had to run into, it was him.

When Hide turned around and saw his friend, one that he hadn't seen in around a month, he excitedly ran over.

Hide grabbed Kaneki by the shoulders and violently shook him.

' Dddduuuuuuuuuudddddeeee!!! Where were you? Rabbits DIE from loneliness. Did you know that? Is that eyepatch supposed to be a fashion statement?'

All of what Hide said was rushed and Kaneki barely understood half of what he said. Hide stopped shaking him and let go.

I was really worried. No news from you since your accident, and after 1 month, I see you with two bags worth of stuff in a suit and tie. What happened?'

Kaneki thought of what he was going to say without revealing anything too vital. Kaneki slowly brought his hand up to his chin and answered. ' I started working in a government agency. I'm a civil servant now.'

Hide's eyes squinted when he saw Kaneki touching his chin but let it slide.

' Aaannd Hide, I Ummm, I don't know how to put this but I dropped out of Kamii. Sorry. I also moved out, so I live in the 1st ward.'

Hide looked absolutely crestfallen. ' But why didn't you keep in contact with me? I was worried.'

Kaneki genuinely felt bad when Hide told him that.

' I know Hide, and I should've called you earlier, but this past month was really hectic, and, and... I'm sorry.'

' Will we... will we keep in touch?' 

Hide was legitimately concerned at what was going to happen to his dear friend.

Kaneki, on the other hand, was shocked.

' What do you mean Hide? Of course, we'll keep in touch! We're best friends for life. I'd never want to imagine a world without you!'

( Sorry, but no HideKane in this book.)

' Well, we need to catch up. How about we go to that cafe, Anteiku was it? Here give me your bag.'

And so, the pair walked all the way to Anteiku. When they arrived in front of the building, Hide entered first.

When Kaneki entered though, the entire atmosphere dropped by ten degrees, not that he noticed. Many patrons were eyeing the bag, where his books were, nervously. The fact that he was:

\- a human

\- in a suit

\- carrying a bag

led to suspicion. Most people (ghouls) figured that he was just some young professional and let him be.

The staff, however, was different. While Kaneki didn't notice, Irimi went upstairs to tell the manager that the person he warned them of was here. Koma was glancing at him out of the corner of his eye but still appeared to be peaceful.

Hide and Kaneki sat down at a table near the corner of Anteiku. They were just idly chatting, Hide bitching about his schoolwork and his teachers, while Kaneki listened. A couple of conversations later and a could of lame jokes and the waiter came.

He has brown hair styled in a pompadour and a bulbous nose. He had the standard cafe uniform, but with a gaudy bowtie.

' What will be your order today?'

' I'd like a latte sir.' Answered Hide with a smile. The waiter nodded and turned towards Kaneki.

' Umm... I'd like a black coffee, please. Thank you.' The waiter nodded again with an unreadable expression. The waiter walked back to the counter and started to brew the coffee while simultaneously watching Kaneki.

Everything was going fine until a certain dark-haired girl with one bang covering her right eye came into the shop. She dropped her school bag at the counter and reappeared shortly after.

Hide was looking at the waitress and telling Kaneki how "cute" she was, but he didn't pay attention.

The waiter came back with their coffees and they started drinking. Kaneki however, was feeling uncomfortable. That girl... he felt like he met her before, but where? Kaneki was trying to be discreet about it, but he was watching her.

" You should trust your instincts, Kaneki."

And his instincts were telling him that something was... off about her. Remembering his mentor's words brought some comfort but he still eyed her.

By now he was only half-listening to Hide. He became much more preoccupied with her. He thought of all those detective novels, and he was trying to read her. Like a book.

From upstairs came two individuals: a woman with long, dark hair with long, parted locks in the front, with a taciturn expression on her face and a tall elderly man with swept-back white hair and closed eyes. Both of them went behind the counter and were washing cups and brewing coffee, while the waitress was walking around, taking orders from customers.

' Hey, Kaneki! Kaneki! Are you even listening to me? Stop staring at that cute waitress.'

Kaneki's head whipped around and blushed at Hide's comment. Maybe he was overthinking it? It was probably because Kaneki saw her when he was walking with Rize. As he was sipping his coffee, the waiter with a bow-tie, the elderly man; who was probably the manager; and the black-haired waitress were all looking at him out of the corner of their eyes but pretended to do other things. Everything was going well until...

' Excuse me, Miss! We would like to reorder.'

The waitress's head popped out and she rushed over to their table, holding a tray against her chest.

' My friend would like to have a black coffee, and I'd like a latte. And by the way, are you free this Saturday...? If so we...'

' I'm sorry but no. Will that be your order?'

' Yeah, that's it.' Hide gave a reluctant sigh, but perked up, thinking he might have a chance later.

The waitress, who was focusing on Hide, turned and looked at Kaneki. Kaneki was looking at her straight in the eye, and that's when something clicked within Touka.

(Touka P.O.V.)

Inner thoughts:

That boy... he smells like Rize. And Hinami's dad. Who is he? Wait... I remember him. I saw him on that night when he and Rize were walking home. Did he...? No. A scrawny boy like him couldn't. Just look at him.

But didn't I see him when I killed that Investigator? I think he charged me with a knife...

Wait!

Hold the fuck up...

Is he a dove? Why is he here?

If he was there when I killed the guy with glasses, that means he was there when Ms. Ryoko died. This asshole killed Hinami's mom and has her dad in a box: that's the only way he could smell like him.

But he smells like Rize. He smells like a ghoul, but not really. Did he kill so many of us that his scent is permanently imbued with the smell of ghoul? And if he took out Rize, that means that this guy is no joke... oh shit. I'm fucked.

End of Inner thoughts:

' And you sir, is that it?'

The young man with an eyepatch was looking at her straight in the eye. She could feel his gaze piercing her even under the eyepatch. The more she looked at him, the more like a demon he seemed. 

' I'd also like coffee to go with my order. Thanks.'

I nodded and rushed towards Irimi. I looked at her and manager with a scared and confused look. Both of them nodded, already knowing her fears. The manager simply pointed at the eyepatch dove's vest pocket and, lo and behold, there was a knife. But not any knife. A quinque.

As I was making his order, I wanted to spit in it. Fucking asshole, killing ghouls just like that.

I mustered the best faux waitress smile I could and gave them their coffee. They both left, carrying their bags, and I let out a sigh of relief.

' Manager, what the fuck was that?'

The manager, like always, had an unreadable look in his face. 

' It appears that that young man was a ghoul Investigator, but that's not what concerns me the most...'

Yomo appeared out of the backroom and stood there, silent as usual. Then he spoke.

' He packs a punch.'

That's all he said. Yomo then walked back into the backroom.

" He packs a punch".

If Yomo says that, then that Investigator can't be good news.

(End of Touka P.O.V.)

Kaneki sent bye to Hide and punched his number into his new phone, the one the CCG gave him. Putting the thoughts of the waitress aside, Kaneki went back home to the chateau and used his books to decorate his new home a bit.

Life was starting to shape up.


	13. Chapter 13 Juuzou Suzuya

A couple of weeks have passed since Kaneki became Koori's partner. The Ghoul Restaurant case was coming along slowly. Kaneki trained with Koori daily, getting his physical and quinque skills up to par with a normal Investigator. Kaneki started running at night and reading martial arts books. Overall, he was trying to get in better shape to be useful. He has also been studying the Ghoul Countermeasure laws, wanting to memorize them. He occasionally met up with Amon and they drank coffee together or went to Donut Meister and talked there. He also kept in touch with Hide.

Kaneki still received blood from the CCG, so that he could drink, but they also sent him this... concoction. It had no taste, no discernable shape but quenched his hunger. Apparently the ghouls at Cochlea, the ghoul prison of the 23rd ward, ate the same "stew". Or whatever the fuck the meal could be described as.

Kaneki began wearing a vest under his jacket, much like his partner. (Not that partner you fujoshis and fudanshis)The two got along well and started to talk more freely to each other.

Kaneki was currently working reading news reports on kidnappings and disappearance; which could be a part of the Ghoul Restaurant's black market and human trafficking rings.

' Kaneki! There has been a number of disappearances in the 8th ward. Contact the police there and see if the culprit(s) were ghouls or not.'

' Yes, Koori!'

Kaneki then dialed up the Tokyo Metropolitan Police station and talked to the police officer on the other line.

' Hello, is this Mr. Kyouhei Morimine? Yes, this is 3rd rank Investigator Kaneki from the CCG. I'm inquiring about... yes. That. Are you sure...? We could always... Oh. Someone else is looking into it? Yes. Yes. Of course. No. I'm sorry, I can't help you there. Okay. Thanks. Have a nice day.'

Koori looked at Kaneki. After a brief silence, Kaneki started.

' The disappearance of the young girl wasn't ghoul related. The police and 8th ward branch office confirmed it.' Kaneki sighed at the slow progress of the case. ' Hey, Koori, can I take a break?'

' Go ahead Kaneki. When you come back I would like you to sort through all the missing person cases of the last year for the 8th ward. You are excused.'

Kaneki groaned on the inside and went down to the cafeteria of the branch office. It was fairly quiet there, but some coworkers were talking amongst themselves. Kaneki whipped out his martial arts book and started reading, trying to comprehend the moves in it. In the middle of his 15-minute break, he got up and went to the vending machine to get a coffee.

What surprised him was when his wallet wasn't there anymore. Kaneki desperately retraced his steps all around the cafeteria, until he came face to face with a boy. Girl? He wasn't too sure.

' Are you looking for this?'' Said a pale young man with shoulder-length white hair. In his hair he wears red hairpins, which form the Roman numeral XIII, keeping back his bangs. He had large ruby eyes and red stitches everywhere. Two stitches in the shape of Xs were under his right eye, and two more under his lip, to the far right. Multiple body stitches were on his neck and right arm. He wore a white shirt with multicolored buttons, blue suspenders, black pants rolled up in shorts, and red slippers. Slippers?

The young man handed back his wallet to him, but he saw that nothing was left in it.

' Ummm did you see where the money in it went?'

' Hmm, I took it!' Answered the clownish boy, humming in pride and happiness over his theft.

' You... you what? Why did you do that?'

' 'Cuz it's fun!'

' If you wanted some to buy something I'd of considered it.'

' Really? Then...' The boy searched in his pockets until he found what he was looking for. The bills were crumpled and messy, with a tissue stuck to them, courtesy of the pale guy. ' Here you go! Buy me some treats!'

The boy gently pushed Kaneki towards the vending machines were he bought a coffee and a snickers bar.

' Umm, here you go. I hope you enjoy it.'

' Thank you so much Mr. Eyepatch! Are you a pirate?' The boy had the snickers bar in his mouth and was dancing around a bit, twirling his arms around his sides, gently skipping.

' No, I'm Ken Kaneki. Nice to meet you.' Kaneki offered a gentle smile and a handshake but the boy didn't respond. ' What's your name?'

' I'm Juuzou Suzuya, Shinohara's underling. Nice to meet you.' Juuzou smiled and closed his eyes. Juuzou gently shook Kaeki's hand.

' I'm sorry but I have to go. See you later.'

' Bbbyyyyeeee!'

Kaneki turned around and went to the elevator. He put his hand in his pocket, but something was missing: his wallet.

' Hey!'

He turned around and saw Juuzou giggling at his petty theft. He took out a 1000 yen bill and threw Kaneki's wallet back at him.

Sighing, Kaneki went back into the elevator with a lighter wallet and a coffee in hand. At his floor, he got out and went back into his and Koori's office.

He got back to work on the missing people of the 8th ward. He didn't mind being reading all the news articles, but he just wanted a bit of progress. He wanted to show that he was useful.

Then he got an idea.

' Hey Koori...'

' Yeah?'

' I have an idea that might help with the case.'

' Oh, what is it then?'

' I could go undercover as a ghoul to one of these places...'

' WHAT?'

A.N. Sorry for the short chapter, I thought that this was needed as a transition.


	14. Chapter 14 Operation Mask 1/3 or 4

' What did you just propose?'

' I was thinking that I should use my uhh "special abilities" to find more information on the Ghoul Restaurant. I'm sure if I ask around I'll find "someone" who knows.'

Koori looked at Kaneki straight in the eyes. His gaze unwavering, raw determination could be seen in his eyes. In Koori's mind, the idea was good but sending Kaneki in the world of ghouls was only a bad idea. But what he could learn may give them a massive advantage in the future. And only a ghoul could pull this off, like Kaneki. Not only could he get information on the Ghoul Restaurant itself, but also on their members; which is another plus for the CCG.

But ethically, could this be possible?

' Kaneki, today we'll be having a meeting with Special Class Itsuki Marude, Bureau Chief Yoshitoki Washuu, and Special Class Kishou Arima. Your idea is a good one, but we'll need clearance from them. Especially from Marude and Washuu.'

' Excuse me sir, but who are Arima and Marude?'

Koori looked at Kaneki, dumbfounded. 

' Wait, you don't know who Arima is?'

Kaneki seemed a bit jittery and nervous, feeling a bit out of the loop. He never went to the Academy, so all of this was a bit foreign to him.

' No, not really.'

Koori sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.' Special Class Arima is known as the CCG's Reaper. He killed more ghouls than anyone in the CCG, and he has subjugated all ranks of all ghouls, from C to SSS. He's the elite of the CCG and leader of the S3 squad.' Seeing Kaneki's confusion at the mention of the S3 squad, Koori explained. ' There are three squads: S1, S2, and S3. They all handle the highest priority extermination targets, such as Big Madam. Special Class Mougan Tanakamaru is in charge of S1, but I'm not too sure who is the leader of S2. S3 is particular because of Arima leading them. I used to be a member of it as well.'

' Really? That's impressive! When should I schedule the meeting for today?'

' As soon as possible.'

' Okay, sir. Would you mind calling Arima for me, I don't know his number, and you seem to know him better than me so...'

' It's fine. Just go ahead and call the others.'

Kaneki fumbled through the various phone numbers he had in his notebook, trying to find the correct ones. He called all of them and politely asked if they were available for a meeting. Thankfully, they all answered yes. Kaneki wrote up some quick notes on what he should say.

(Two hours later)

In a conference room in the 1st ward sat Bureau Chief Yoshitoki Washuu, Countermeasures 2 Division leader Itsuki Marude; a middle-aged man with short black hair parted in the middle, and with a permanent abrasive and harsh look carved into his face, but with a playful glint in his eyes. And finally, there was Arima. He was a tall, well-built man with snow-white hair and gray eyes. A pair of thin-framed glasses and a calm apathetic expression donned his face.

All of them had an imposing presence, giving Kaneki mild anxiety. Koori however, was at ease around them. Koori gently took out a cigarette and lit it up. He took a small drag, and opened his mouth, letting all the smoke out into the conference room.

Koori began speaking. ' As you may know, we are in charge of investigating the Ghoul Restaurant. For the past few weeks, my partner, 3 rank Investigator Ken Kaneki, and I have searched for many leads. We concluded that the Ghoul restaurant is situated somewhere in the 6th, 7th, or 8th ward. While this is something, it doesn't narrow it down and the chance of finding information while interrogating random ghouls on the street would be futile. Which is where 3 rank Investigator Kaneki's plan seems to come into place.'

Kaneki stood up a bit abruptly and coughed nervously a bit before beginning. ' As you are all aware, I am part ghoul,' Kaneki let that hang for a second like he was trying to convince himself of that, ' and I was thinking that I would be able to i-infiltrate the Ghoul Restaurant. We are asking permission to put this plan into place.'

The three other members of this conference listened intently. Marude looked shocked, Yoshitoki surprised and Arima was unreadable. Koori spoke up.

' I believe that we should vote if this plan will take place. Raise your hand if you're for it.'

Surprisingly, everyone agreed to it.

' In that case, "Operation Mask" commences. Now, we also invited you to come so that if you would like to know anything specific, Kaneki could gather that information for you.'

After a brief silence, Bureau director Washuu spoke up. ' Whenever you will be planning an "excursion", you must write a summary and immediately give a report to Marude. Understood?'

' Y-yes sir!'

The meeting ended and everyone went their separate ways. Before leaving, Arima turned around and looked at Kaneki, saying ' Good luck.' His face was still unreadable but Koori smiled.

' I used to be part of Arima's squad before. He was an excellent mentor, but he doesn't say much. You, Kaneki, are my first partner. I've always been in squads before. So I'm new to all of this mentoring thing.'

' N-no you've been great Koori. I learned a lot of things with you...'

' I appreciate the thought. Now get ready and go out there!'

' Yes sir!'

( 1 Hour Later)

Going from the 1st ward to the 14th ward didn't take a lot of time and Kaneki entered the bar, going by "Haise Sasaki".

When he opened the door to "Helter Skelter", he saw Itori, looking bored and resting her elbows on the bar. When she heard the door open, she lazily looked at Haise's direction, but immediately perked up when she as who it was.

' Haise! I've missed you! How ya been?'

' I've been good Itori. I'm settling in but I didn't come here for a social call. I'm sorry.'

' Oh no, that's fine. So what's on your mind?'

' Well, I-uh, heard some guys talking about the "Ghoul Restaurant". Is it some sort of club?'

In reality, Kaneki knew everything the CCG knew about it, and he hoped his lie would work. Gently scratching his chin, he looked at Itori.

Her long orange peachy hair was flowing on her sides as she leaned forwards, exposing her cleavage to Kaneki. He blushed and looked away, not wanting to be seen by Itori, but she notices. She gets up and drapes her arm around him. He could feel something very soft pushing into him.

' I know a thing or two, but if you want to join you need to be first invited by a member. Thankfully I know one. He's a bit eccentric so be aware of that. When would you like to meet him?'

' As soon as possible. And also...'

' Hm?'

' Where can I get my mask done?'

At that, Itori smiled. Her smile was mostly happy, but slight wickedness could be felt.

' If you want to know..., I have a mask maker friend in the 4th ward. His name is Uta. To go to his shop, Hysy, you have to...'

' And for the Ghoul Restaurant?' 

' Tomorrow come here and meet the man I was talking about. And in exchange, please tell me how do members get accepted, a client of mine wants to know.'

' G-got it!'

(Short Timeskip)

After receiving directions from Itori, Kaneki headed to the 4th ward. He had to go into a number of alleys and saw many depressing things. Hysy, the name of the mask maker's shop, was located in an impoverished part of the 4th ward. Misery was everywhere, with men throwing bottles of alcohol at their wives and women screaming in anger. After getting lost a couple of times in the rough neighborhood, he finally arrived at his destination.

HySy Art Mask Studio. Kaneki tentatively entered the shop, a new future awaiting him.


	15. Chapter 15 Operation Mask 2/4

The shop was located in a fairly rough area of the 4th ward. The neighboring building's exterior was nothing great; with litter everywhere, graffiti spray-painted on the wall and a homeless guy passed out drunk on the floor. That's why the shop was an anomaly; with art on barrels, a large wooden door serving as an entrance and a couple of masks were on display. A huge HySy logo was on the right of the door, and the hard cobblestone pavement cracked underfoot.

Kaneki nervously touched the door handle. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.

Kaneki entered a medium-sized room with black and white tiles. Masks lined the shop walls, and some were displayed on skeletons. The place was eerily quiet, and Kaneki was alone. The tiles squeaked under his feet, and cool air hit his nape. Looking around, he admired the creepy masks and saw that a sheet was covering a pedestal. Kaneki took the cloth off and-

' Boo.'

-almost pissed himself in fright.

Panting, Kaneki got back up and faced the man.

' Are you Uta?'

The man was lanky and sported an undercut, whit some strands of his black hair falling on his face. Tattoos were everywhere on his body: arms, neck, chest, etc, etc. His kakugan was activated, meaning he was a ghoul. He had a black sweater draped around his arms and a tank top covered his torso. Piercings were on his lip and ears. Kaneki noticed some Latin words tattooed on his neck, but couldn't decipher them.

' I am. So you're the one-eye that Itori mentioned...'

Uta's face got a lot closer to Kaneki's. He was looking at him owlishly and then leaned back.

' So you're here for a mask, right?'

' Y-yeah...'

Uta leaned forward again and started sniffing Kaneki's neck. 

' You smell unusual...'

' I, uh, I guess?'

Kaneki was very intimidated by Uta. Kaneki started to shake very lightly, due to his nerves.

Uta turned around and made his way to his worktable, with a plethora of tools strewn about it. He sat down and gently tapped at a stool next to him.

' I'll take your measurements.'

Kaneki nodded and sat beside Uta.

' So are you getting a mask because of the doves?' Uta inquired.

' Doves?'

' I mean the ghoul investigators. You know about them right?'

Kaneki got a bit nervous at the subject of the CCG, so he clammed up.

' Y-yeah. With the big boxes.'

' Anyways, do you have any allergies? Rubber, metal...' While saying this, Uta was poking Kaneki's cheek, which still retained some baby fat. ' You're name's Haise, right? That's what Itori said.'

' That's it.' Kaneki gently scratched his chin when he said that. Haise Sasaki was his "ghoul" alias.

' Would you like a full mask or a half one?'

' I... I'll let you choose.'

' That eyepatch is cute. Is it your style?'

Kaneki gently lifted the eyepatch off of his eye, showing a gentle grey eye.

' I wear it because my kakugan shows involuntarily when I'm hungry or excited. My kakugan is only on my left eye though...'

' If you're hungry, eat. You want a snack?'

Uta handed Kaneki an eyeball, rolling about in his palm.

' N-no thanks. I'm good.' The sight of the eyeball made Kaneki queasy, but its scent attracted him. He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind until Uta asked a very personal question.

' Do you have a girlfriend?'

' HUH?!? N-no I never had one', Rize doesn't count, Kaneki thought, ' but t's not like I'm shy or... or...'

' It's fine. I think that older women would prefer to dote on you, like Itori.'

' Ms. Itori is pretty, but...'

' Not your type?'

' No.'

' Do you personally prefer younger girls?' Uta said this as he was chewing on the eyeball, freaking the hell out of Kaneki.

' W-why are you asking me all of this? Does it matter?'

' It does, a lot. The more I know you, the more inspired I'll be, and the better the mask.'

' Oh...'

There was a brief silence, only disturbed when Uta got closer to Kaneki's face, for whatever the reason.

' Well, I got your measurements done... it'll be ready in a couple of days.'

' Perfect. I'll just pick it up here.'

' That sounds fine.'

As Kaneki stood up and left, he thought about Uta. He seemed like a nice perso-ghoul, but knew that he probably killed many people. The thought unnerved Kaneki, but as he was in the 4th ward, he could go back to the CCG easily. The beginning of "Operation Mask" was in motion

After going back to the 4th ward's branch office, Kaneki changed into his work clothes and started writing a report, summarizing what he did today, but he omitted the names of Uta and Itori. Tomorrow, he'll meet with an actual member of the restaurant and Kaneki was nervous. Butterflies in his stomach, apprehension, and a small sense of excitement swirled in his body.

He just finished writing the report when Koori came in.

' Koori! I just finished the report on the beginning of "Operation Mask". Tomorrow I'll come in contact with a member of the "Ghoul Restaurant".'

' Do you know who it is?'

' N-no, but I'm sure it'll be a good lead.'

' I hope so. In the meantime, I have good news. As you seem to excel at using rinkaku type quinques, I decided that instead of using Scorpion, a bikaku, you'll be using these new quinques, that you can use as a rank 3 Investigator. Here.'

The pair of rinkaku knives were sharp and durable. When Koori handed them to Kaneki, he had to be careful not to cut himself with them. 

' What will I do with Scorpion?' Inquired Kaneki, thinking about his ex-quinque.

' I'll send it back to the lab, in case another investigator ever needs it.'

Kaneki took out Scorpion from his pocket and handed it to Koori. He continued twirling the knives around until feeling satisfied.

' But you do realize that new quinque means more training right? You need to be in top shape for tomorrow.'

Kaneki's crestfallen face made Koori's day.


	16. Chapter 16 Operation Mask 3/4

After a lengthy physical training session with Koori, Kaneki got his quinque out. The knives, Ikraft and Abksol, were extremely sharp and cut Kaneki more than a few times. Koori instructed him to attack a dummy.

But Kaneki was unwilling to try and seriously maim the dummy. He wasn't cut out for killing. Again and again he "slashed" the dummy, but seemed reluctant and grossed out. The beige humanoid figure was littered with shallow cuts, nothing that would've killed an individual.

Koori was watching in the back covering his face out of shame.

This went on for a little while until Koori had enough. He took his cigarette pack, gently patted the bottom, pushing a cigarette out. He took it with his slender fingers and put it in his mouth. Lighting it up, Koori felt a gentle buzz inside his system.

Feeling a bit better, Koori walked up to Kaneki and told him to stop.

' Kaneki, are you even trying?!? You barely scratched the dummy. I can see that you are getting used to the knives, so this isn't about your ability to wield them. You are willfully messing up. Why?'

Kaneki was silent as he looked at Koori. Koori looked mightily pissed. 

' Can you tell me? You're going on an undercover operation tomorrow and I want to make sure that you come out of it alive. So answer me,' Koori's expression softened, as well as his tone. ' Is there something wrong?'

Kaneki looked at the floor meekly. A thousand thoughts and emotions were circling in his head. He then sheepishly looked up at Koori, saying,' Isn't it better to be hurt than to hurt others?'

The innocent nature of the question completely surprised Koori. He was expecting a bullshit question or statement like "I'm nervous about tomorrow" or "I'm not fit to be an investigator". But this... this was different. It was such a pure, naive, and innocent statement. Koori didn't know what to answer. He didn't even know how to react, whether to laugh at his innocence and stupidity or to cry at how such a pure person was dragged into the world of ghouls without a say in the matter.

Kaneki was still looking at him, his big dove-gray eyes boring into him. Koori thought for a second and-

' Don't think too much about that. You'll be fine. You probably won't even have to fight. Just put them in your pocket just in case.'

Koori was always a coward, so he simply dodged the question. Even when his partner was in emotional turmoil, Koori ran away.

Fuck.

Koori swiftly turned around and continued to smoke, trying to block out Kaneki. Meanwhile, Kaneki grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat off of his face and neck.

Still feeling a bit apprehensive, Kaneki nervously scratched his neck and changed into more casual clothing, mainly a polo shirt and striped slacks, with a v-neck covering his polo and a messenger bag slung over his shoulder. In the messenger bag was a martial arts book tucked in amid a cluster of random and insignificant objects.

Kaneki has been reading the book for a while now, trying to use the moves that he learned against Koori, to no avail.

Getting ready, Kaneki thought about what he had to do today:

1, Get his mask from Uta

2, Go to Itori and meet the Restaurant's member

3, Get into the Restaurant

4, Investigate discreetly,

5, Get out of the Restaurant,

6, Tell Itori how to become a member of the Restaurant

7, Come back and give a report to Koori.

It seemed simple on paper but was much more complicated to do. As Kaneki was thinking about this, he turned back and waved to Koori, saying, ' I'll be leaving now!' Koori looked and gave a small wave back. Not extremely reassuring, but it would have to do.

( 1-Hour Timeskip to HySy Studio)

After walking through the back alleys of the 4th ward, Kaneki managed to find Uta's shop. Gently coming in, Kaneki saw the familiar checkered flooring. Pressing forwards, he saw Uta with headphones on, diligently working on something. Kaneki stayed back, not wanting to disturb him.

After a couple of minutes, Uta stopped working and turned around to face Kaneki.

' I knew you were there...'

O-oh really? I didn't want to bother you so...'

' You're here for your mask right? I just finished it up, just gimme a minute so I can fetch it.'

Uta got up and rummaged in his desk to find the mask. After a minute or two, he pulled out a piece of leather.

' Try it on. I want to see how it looks on you.'

Kaneki nodded, and after receiving instruction on how to put it on by Uta, he raised his face and show him.

The mask was made of black leather covering his neck and everything below his nose. A black eyepatch covered his right eye. Under his jaw on each side were frankenstein-like bolts. His mask has artificial teeth and gums, only to be removed by a zipper.

' I wanted to see the eye you ere hiding , Haise', said Uta, a small grin on his face while admiring his handiwork.

For Kaneki, the cold leather, coupled with seeing the world from his normally covered eye, made him strangely excited...

From Uta's perspective, it fit him really well.

' So, where are you going Haise?' said Uta, with an unsettling voice.

' I'm going to see Itori.'

For Kaneki, Itori was the sort of liaison between him and the ghoul world. The beautiful woman was carefree and it relaxed Kaneki, to an extent. Uta, on the other hand, was like a wolf in sheep clothing. He had an unsettling presence and aura, making him menacing.

Kaneki and Uta chit-chatted for a while on mundane topics, some of them getting an embarrassed reaction from Kaneki.

Kaneki pulled out his phone and looked at the time.

' O-oh. I need to head over to Itori's.' Kaneki abruptly stood up, in an awkward way, and got his things together. Putting his newly acquired mask into his messenger bag, he wished Uta goodbye.

Stepping out of his shop, a wave of autumn air crashed on him, leaving him a bit defenseless. His nervousness was only growing while walking through the slums of the 4th ward, and he trekked all the way to the 14th, to Itori.

Kaneki entered the now familiar empty bar (For some reason it was always only him and Itori there), and sat down on a stool. Itori soon came out of the back and smiled. 

' Haise! How are you doing?'

' I'm good. I just got my mask from Uta.'

Itori stopped for a second and thought. A small, yet fond, smile crept on her lips.

' Really? Uta's an excellent mask-maker.'

' You know him?,' Kaneki inquired, trying to sound as calm as possible.

' Yeah... we go waaay back. Anyways, the guy I was talking about will come shortly, but beware he's a bit... peculiar...'

Peculiar? What did she mean by that?

' What do you-'

Kaneki's sentence was interrupted by the entrance of a young man in his early twenties wearing a multi-colored v-neck sweater. He was extremely attractive, with a tall and slim physique, coupled with his vivid blue hair, he looked like a model.

' Hello! So Itori, who was the person you wanted to introduce me to?'

Ah.

Kaneki could see now. His flamboyant fashion attire and way of speaking were peculiar indeed.

' He's right here.' Responded Itori, casually sipping blood wine while pointing to Kaneki. Kaneki nervously put up his hand and waved.

The man approached Kaneki and started...

sniffing him.

' Uumm! Excuse me?' Kaneki was shocked and disturbed by this outlandish behavior. The man took a step back.

' I'm sorry. It's just that you had such an intriguing smell... I couldn't help myself,' As the man went on, Kaneki grew more confused and dumbfounded by the man before him. ' I am the Gourmet! But I also go by M.M.'

' H-hi. I'm Haise. I was wondering if it was possible for me to visit the Ghoul Restaurant, so I contacted Itori and-'

' Nessun Problema! I'd be more than happy to show you around, but first let's talk. We'll go to a cafe I like.'

Itori was just casually drinking her beverage paying no mind to the conversation. As Kaneki walked out the bar, he looked back at Itori. She just winked and smile, assuring that everything would be fine.

( Short Timeskip cuz I'm lazy like that)

After leaving Itori, the pair went to play squash together, where M.M completely outplayed Kaneki. After that they walked out and went to the cafe M.M mentioned.

' So Haise, how come are you so unathletic? Normally we ghouls are physically fit.'

Kaneki gulped and recalled his previous lie that he told Itori.

' I'm not from Tokyo so...'

Mr. MM nodded and looked up pensively. Meanwhile, a waitress came and asked them for their order.

' Two iced coffees please.'

The cafe was a mix between modern and old, with books lining the walls, different coffee beans in display, and a pleasant atmosphere. The shop had a succulent aroma of coffee that wafted through Kaneki's nose. The greenery put him at ease and the ceiling fan provided for some minor background noise.

' So Haise, do you think that it's perfect for reading? Coming here makes me feel at ease, and the clientele is charming.'

Kaneki nodded in an awkward fashion. ' Yeah, it's a nice place.' Desperate to make conversation Kaneki asked Mr. MM if he liked reading.

' Reading? Yes, I'm quite fond of literature, especially western one. Have you read the Physiology of Taste?'

Kaneki smiled. By Jean-Anthelme Brillat Savarin? I have.

( A.N. It's a pretty good book btw, you should check it out)

' I am greatly inspired by the food connoisseurs of our times. The flavors I could never taste, as well as the emotions. Its incredible. " A dessert without cheese is like a beauty with one eye." What is the cheese for ghouls? For me?'

Kaneki could clearly see that Mr. MM was getting more and more galvinised by his own speech and was getting quite uncomfortable.

' Speaking of which, what do YOU like to eat? Hmm? Mr. Haise!'

Kaneki was a bit uncomfortable at that.

' I uhhh, I don't really like eating much.' Kaneki shuddered at the thought of Him, eating another human, rlishing the organs and the blood, like her...

Instead, Mr.MM simply shrugged.' Some people are like that.'

Kaneki thought about something. When he read the Gourmet's file, it said that he has hunting grounds in the 20th ward. Would he have known about her..?

' Umm, Mr. MM.'

' Yes?'

' Do you know a certain Rize. Rize Kamishiro?'

Mr MM's eyes widened at her name, but quickly recomposed himself. 

' Yes, we would often talk about food or literature, but we had ideological differences...'

Mr. MM held his coffee cup and shook with rage. Kaneki could see in his eyes that he only felt sheer unadulterated anger towards Rize, and that he wanted revenge.

' She didn't care as long as it suited her appetite. Like a pig huddling over millet. A pig! A pig! That trashy sow! A lowly sow mocking my pursuit for culinary greatness!'

Kaneki was visibly unnerved and attempted to calm him down. After calling his name a few time, Mr. MM recomposed himself and looked at Kaneki.

' I apologize for losing my cool. Rize and I had a falling out...'

' O-oh.'

' Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom.'

MM didn't reappear for a while and when he came out, he had a euphoric look on his face. 

The pair continued to talk to each other, but Kaneki was significantly warier of him now. Remembering his mission, Kaneki asked him about the restaurant.

' So, where do you normally eat, Mr.MM? Do you know any nice places?' Kaneki winced and prayed that he asked Mr. MM in a subtle fashion.

' That's odd, I was thinking about inviting you! It's a secret members-only place... it has excellent food, and if you come with me, you'll be allowed in.'

For some reason, Mr. MM didn't look at Kaneki in the eyes when he said that. Not paying attention, Kaneki felt that he could finally get some info out of Mr. MM and report back to HQ with something worthwhile.

' Let's go there now shall we?'

They both walked to the 7th ward, and arrived in front of a large brick building. It had imposing marble columns outside the front door, and large windows on the walls. It was starting to be nighttime, and Mr. MM put on a moon crescent like mask. Copying him, Kaneki put on his own frankenstein/gimp mask.

This'll be an interesting soirée.


	17. Chapter 17 Operation Mask 4/4

When he entered the building, a staff member escorted him in. After having played squash, Kaneki was a bit sweaty and was ordered to take a shower, which was odd. The smell of high-quality soap enveloped the bathroom. Kaneki's clothes were put in a small ball as far as possible from the shower, as to not get them wet. His quinque however, was on a small rack next to the sink. The cold marble flooring seared Kaneki's feet when he was in the shower, the hot water providing some contrast.

The sound of water running masked all other noises, and Kaneki was thinking. It was as if his worries were being drowned out by the water, and a fake sense of calm washed over him. The only thoughts left were that of his mission. 

After he got out of the shower and dried himself, a restaurant employee gave him "appropriate" attire: consisting of a suit and tie. 

' Sir, would you kindly follow me to the next room?' said the employee, gesturing at Kaneki for him to come forth, ' Mr. MM is waiting for you.'

'I just need to go get something, I'll be right back. Thanks.' The employee stood there, silent, as Kaneki ran back to the shower room and got his mask and quinque. He put his quinque in his blazer's pocket and the mask in his pant's pocket.

He came out of the room and followed the man to another destination. The employee opened the door, and let Kaneki in, but didn't actually enter the room with him. The waiting room was fairly bare, and in it were 2 people: a woman and a man, both sitting in leather armchairs. The woman was overweight, with shoulder-length hair. The man was fairly tall, with light-colored hair parted in the middle, and falling to both sides.

The man quickly rose out of the armchair to shake Kaneki's hand. Apparently, his name was Kobachi, and the two shared trivialities. Apparently, he was invited to the restaurant by a friend of his, and that they were given coffee before the meal. The woman, Ami, stayed in her armchair, not bothering to move. The group exchanged some small talk, until a maid came and gave Kaneki some coffee. 

Since his transformation into a ghoul, Kaneki's senses heightened tremendously, so when the maid presented him with coffee that didn't smell like regular coffee, he opted to not drink it.

Another staff member arrived and escorted them to a new room. To get there, they had to go into a brick hallway, with random artwork and furniture littering and lining the walls. Strangest of all were the windows covered crudely with wooden planks, the only light in the hallway emanating through lamps.

Kaneki's heart was beating, his pulse thumping, giving his march to the next room it's own music. He breathed out, praying for the missions' success. He had his quinques, he had his mask, he knew hat to do.

This new room as surprisingly empty. It was in an oval shape, and the only furniture was a table adorned with a white cloth in the middle. The floor was a beige-ish concrete, and the door was made out of steel. All of this made the room look more like a vault or bunker than a restaurant.

Kobachi was complaining and making random comments about the place while Ami was going towards the steel door.

' It's- it's locked...'

Kaneki's blood froze. Was he set up by Mr. MM? hen all these thoughts swirled in Kaneki's mind, a speaker spoke up.

' Thank you for waiting. We are ready to commence the banquet.' Out of nowhere the ceiling opened, as more and more of the ceiling opened, Kaneki saw a crowd of masked individuals, all leering down at him. There was a quiet rumbling among the crowd, murmurs of anticipation becoming louder and louder as the ceiling opened. 'These three ill be your dinner this evening.'

Fuck.

This isn't good news.

The speaker started going over Kobachi's physique and lifestyle, and saying that Mr. TR "offered" him up. For Ami it was some man in a clown mask with a checkered shirt called PG.

' S-Souta!! How could you do this to me? I thought that we were in love! We ere engaged! We were engaged...'

PG. or Souta, spoke up. His voice reaching Kaneki's ears, but his clown lips were'nt moving, giving him a sickening aura. ' I can't consider a fat bitch as a love interest. I've been fattenig you up just for this occasion.'

Ami curled up in a ball on the floor, desperately sobbing. Into what hell did he unknowingly/knowingly stumbled into?

' And tonight's main dish is a rather unique meat: a Ghoul, ladies and gentleman! He is Mr. MM's offering.'

Mr. MM explained his reasoning to the apprehensive and bewildered crowd. L Everyone, I understand your confusion, ghouls taste foul to rather ghouls, as I'm sure you ell know, but this ghoul is special! Even though he is a ghoul, he exudes a potent human scent. Here!' Mr. MM then took a handkerchief stained ith blood out. He then tossed it into the cord, who reached the same conclusion as him.

' Doesn't that interest you? What taste does he possess? Let us enjoy the ultimate feast!'

After Mr. MM's proclamation, a loud wave of clapping ensued. But something clicked within Kaneki. His instincts told him that Mr.MM was the Gourmet.

Fear paralysed Kaneki, ith the nauseating buzz of all the ghouls around him tickling his spine. Kaneki was tricked. Knowing what as going to happen, he got his mask out and put it on. The cool leather collided ith his hot skin; hot from the nervousness pooling deep within his stomach. Kaneki as tricked, so his mission changed from intelligence gathering to surviving.

'Let's get the dinner show started, tonight's scrapper will be.... Taro! Madame A's pet!. Enjoy the dismemberment show!'

Kaneki vaguely thought of Kenji Miyazawa's Restaurant of many orders as he saw the behemoth before him: a tall and obese man ith a piggish nose and dark eyes. He had no shirt on, just a red executioner's hood and black pants, a cleaver in his paw-like hands.

' Nishe to meet chu.'

Ah, the behemoth didn't look too bright. That was something.

Mr. Kobachi was playing the whole thing off, like it was a joke. As he was doing so, the man lumbered towards him, grabbing his leg and throwing him on the floor. The giant took his saw and ripped Kobachi's arm off.

The ghoul world wasn't a joke.

Taro threw the dismembered limb into the cord as he continued to meticulously, yet clumsily, do the same ithh all of Kobachi. His screams rang out until they stopped.

' S-stay near me, I'll help you!'

The woman complied as Kaneki went in front of her. The giant came forward and then-

\- he was kicked forward, falling face first in the unforgiving concrete floor.

'If you wanna save me, be my decoy and die first.'

Kaneki looked back at her, betrayed, hile the crowd yelled words of encouragement. Words like depraved bitch and selfish human came from the audience, and Kaneki agreed with them, even if his golden heart refused him to think like that.

Taro's fists smashed the ground, but Kaneki quickly dodged him. Taro looked confused, until he went towards Ami, beginning a fairly long and depressing chase sequence. This only proved to agitate the crowd further, and they soon began cheering or booing for Ami, but at least they were entertained. Ami continued running until she fell over.

' Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that the poison is taking effect!'

Poison?? The coffee! That's why it smelled weird.

Taro took Ami and slammed her on a massive hot plate. The results were'nt pretty, and now the scrapper focused on Kaneki. He dodged a swing from the gargantuan man, and kicked him, to no avail.

' Dat heurt.'

The man's fat protected him, and of Taro wasn't keen on murdering Kaneki no, after receiving words of encouragement by Madame A, now he was.

' MAMA!'.

Taro threw himself on the floor, but Kaneki dodged. He ran away as Taro got up, but a chase soon ensued. Taro was swinging wildly, and got a hit on Kaneki, but his saw/cleaver broke.

The crowd sighed at Taro's unprofessionalism. Of course a regular blade wouldn't work on a ghoul. They needed to find a ghoul willing to kill the other. 

A worker from the restaurant entered the arena, and gave Taro a large metal case. He had some difficulty opening it, so the worker aided him.

A large saw came out of it, and it all clicked within Kaneki. That wasn't any ordinary saw, that was a quinque. They killed an investigator for that. Something deep rumbled within Kaneki, anger, and thinking about one of his coworkers dying fueled him into action. Kaneki squared off in front of Taro, trying to not let any openings show. He remembered the martial arts books he read, his training with Koori, with Amon.

Taro swung the blade down and Kaneki jumped, dodging the blade and landing on his feet. Taro wasn't like them, he didn't have Koori's and Amon's skill. He could outmaneuver Taro.

As Taro swung down again, this time the blade got stuck in the ground.

Kaneki grabbed Taro's arm and remembered what he read.

Flip his wrist. Target areas ith no flexibility. Turn the arm upward. Lift the elbow joint up.

And Kaneki kicked. Right on the elbo, breaking Taro's arm.

Kaneki lifted the quinque that was stuck in the concrete and slashed it at Taro's stomach.

The crowd was murmuring in fascination at the sight before them; it isn't very day that the meal fights back.

With Taro yelling incoherently in pain, Kaneki lunged at him, quinque in hand. He as about to hit Taro when-

\- He fell.

' We've taken precaution for tonight's meal, poisoning the coffee, but also releasing a gas that inhibits motor skills. The meal will be completed shortly.'

Taro lumbered at him and grabbed him by the shoulder, shoving Kaneki between his arms and chest, smothering him. Kaneki's mask's eyepatch became a bit undone.

Change of P.O.V

Mr.MM saw something that shook him. Was he dreaming?

The entire crowd saw Kaneki activate his Kakugan, but was he the only one who noticed...

that he had only one kakugan? Did that mean that Haise was a one-eyed ghoul? A rarity that only occurs once a century?

NOBODY COULD HAVE HIM BESIDES THE GOURMET, SHU TSUKIYAMA. He would make sure of that.

Just before Taro killed Kaneki, he went down in the arena and ripped Taro in half. He lied to Madame A about replacing him. That was the least of his worries. Something new excited his palate.

(Timeskip)

Kaneki returned to the 4th wards office. He made a pit stop at Itori's and told her everything he got, but she didn't seem satisfied. Thankfully, she let him off the hook.

It was close to midnight when he got back to the office and had to directly go attend a meeting. In it was Koori, smoking, Marude, laughing loudly with Bureau director Washuu, and Arima, silent.

When Kaneki came in, with an untucked shirt, I'd hair, small blood splatters on his right arm, and an exhausted look, they all quieted down.

Koori nodded at Kaneki to start.

' I went undercover at the Ghoul Restaurant, invited by a Mr.MM. I purchased a mask, just in case, and entered the restaurant.' Kaneki took his mask out and put it on the table, just in case. ' I was tricked, however, into being a victim of a "dismantling show". There are six people of both that I have found: Mr.MM, Mr. PG, MR. TR and Madame A. They ere patrons of the restaurant. There were two other victims, a Mr.Kobachi and someone known as Ami. The restaurant has access to drugs, gasses and a saw-like quinque.'

The information about the quinque was useful to determine which investigator died.

' The scrapper was "owned" by Madame A, and seemed to possess others. I didn't see the Big Madam there.'

Marude interrupted, asking for anything regarding the masks of the ghouls.

' Nothing in particular but Mr. PG, also called Souta, had a clown mask.'

Washuu spoke up. 'A clown mask? Are you sure.' Kaneki nodded, and Bureau Director Washuu sighed. ' So we can confirm a link between the Clowns and the Ghoul Restaurant. Quite the unfortunate combination.'

While Kaneki looked confused, Koori signaled to him that he'll explain later.

Kaneki continued with the story, and nothing else was very important. They knew the victim's identities, and that an investigator ith a saw quinque died at the hands of a member of the Restaurant at some point.

' I also believe that Mr. MM was in fact the Gourmet.'

' And how are you sure?' Asked a skeptical Marude.

' Uhh Instinct?'

The look of sheer "I'm-so-done-with-this" on Marude's face made Kaneki gulp loudly.

' Damn Mado, corrupting his partners with that "instinct" of his.'

'I also have something very important...'

Koori pressed Kaneki. ' What is it?'

' I have the exact address of one of the Ghoul Restaurants. It's in the 7th ward at this-' Kaneki took out a piece of paper from his pocket '-location.'

NOW THAT was interesting. Marude quickly copied it down and stood up, hitting Kaneki on the back.

' I was a bit skeptical of this at first, but you proved yourself. Good job boy!' Each time Marude hit him on the back, the more Kaneki felt like doubling over.

' We'll have to inform Senior Investigator Fura about this.' Said Koori, standing up and going to his office. 

' This meeting is adjourned. Thank you for the priceless information rank 3.'

Kaneki nodded and followed Koori. He now had to write a report, do a sketch of the masks, and do lots of paperwork. Yay for a sleepless night.


	18. Chapter 18 4th Ward Field Trip

After the eventful time spent at the Restaurant, Kaneki had to compile all the information. Report after report was filed, with this one being sent to Assistant Special Class Kousuke Houji. 

Ghoul Investigation Report

Report number: 150919-27004

Report contents  
* Investigation subject: The Gourmet/MM  
* Ghoul rating: S  
* Expected hideout ward: 20 ward  
* Rc TYPE: Koukaku  
* Special points of note: Is particular and will pick and choose and hunt specific parts of the target's body. Many victims have been reported. A confirmed member of the Ghoul Restaurant. Seems to be acquainted with Madame A and a member of the Clowns.

Aaaaannnnddd.... done!

The week was filled with work for Kaneki. It was a lot of paperwork, but he also trained with Ui on quinque handling. Day by day he was getting better at using not only Ikraft and Abksol but at wielding Asaki, without chopping his fingers. His reflexes were getting better, and his stomach became a bit harder and less mushy. All in all, there was progress, but Koori didn't stop there. He still had to do grueling training and "learn an investigator's mindset". Koori, however, was secretly pleased and proud of his subordinate's progress, and Kaneki's golden heart grew on him.

They went to get coffee together a couple of times, and they were starting to get to know each other better.

Kaneki hadn't seen Amon in a while, but he texted Hide regularly. Kaneki sighed at that. He'd been meaning to meet up with Hide but the opportunity never arose.

Shaking his head, Kaneki got up and went towards Koori's desk, where the smell of smoke permanently lingered. Coughing, he handed the file he just completed to him, and Koori glanced at it, frowned in acknowledgment, and went back to working on whatever he was doing. Kaneki went back to his desk, a neat plastic desk with a portable laptop, littered with tidy piles of paperwork and some empty cans of coffee.

Whilst Kaneki sat back down, Koori leaned a bit back in his chair, looking pensive yet his facial expression did not change. The Associate Special Class could have a blank look when he wanted, courtesy of those years with Arima. 

A small silence ensued, only breaking when Koori spoke up. ' Kaneki, are you ready for your first patrol?'

The question startled Kaneki, and he started incoherently sputtering for a while, before coming to any sort of answer. Patrols were common at the CCG, and the premise was simple: walk around a neighborhood to make sure no ghoul appeared, to reassure civilians (the few who could distinguish an investigator in the wild) and to show to ghouls that they were there and ready to take them out. This was fairly routine to do outside of investigations, but because of his work on the Restaurant case and his training, he never had the pleasure to do it.

' I-I guess I am, Koori. Should I get ready?'

Koori briefly pondered over the question before agreeing. ' That's fine, but wear your uniform and take Asaki with you.'

' Are you sure? I'm not supposed to-' Koori quickly cut him off with a flick of his hand. 'That rule is enforced only by their superior. Some are more strict than others about it, and it's a rule on paper. When Arima was a rank 3, he had a quinque, a real one, on him at all times. Shinohara's rank 3 partner, on the other hand, doesn't, though in his case it's probably for the better...' Koori started to frown at the end until he gained back his usual placid look and continued. ' In any case, take Asaki with you, just in case. 

Kaneki sighed a bit. After picking up his trench coat and donning it, he picked up his quinque. Kaneki took his messenger bag and slung it over his shoulder. He kept the trench coat open, so he doesn't feel smothered by it, and held his attache case containing Asaki in his right hand. The medical eyepatch still shielded his left eye.

Koori smirked as he looked at Kaneki. With each passing day, he looked more and more like an investigator, even if there was still a long way to go. He wasn't sure of what to think of leaving the Arima squad and training his first-ever partner, but he was enjoying it, even if Kaneki was a half-ghoul.

As Koori got ready too, he took Taruhi and gently slid his pack of Hope Cigarettes in his front pocket. Leading the way, and with Kaneki gently trotting behind him, they went to the lobby. Because he was this ward's Bureau Director, employees all around smiled at him and backed up. Kaneki, on the other hand, squirmed at all the attention he was receiving, or the lack thereof, as all eyes were on Koori.

As the duo went out, and the crisp November air hit them, they headed to the train station. Koori had a very specific place that he wanted to go: Kabuki-chō.

Prostitutes were always high-risk victims, so it made sense to have a strong CCG presence in the area. But a part of Koori couldn't wait to see his protege's mortified face when he saw the red-light district.

(Time-Skip, travel scenes are boring)

When Kaneki saw the neon-littered "Sleepless city", he was appalled, yet intrigued. Gulping, and with slight tightness in his pants, he continued to walk behind Koori. Some of the low-life thugs were hollering at them to "taste the finest chicks in Tokyo", but Koori remained steadfast and ignored them. Kaneki, with a faint blush on his face, was much less unwavering. Every time a girl called him "hot stuff" or "cutie", a shiver went down his spine, and his face reddened even further. 

Shaking his head, Kaneki remembered his purpose here and what he had to do. He tried keeping up with Koori, but damn was the man fast.

After maybe an hour of patrolling, the pair; and by the pair, mostly Koori, decided that it was time to abandon the main roads and opt to go to the back streets and alleys. There they found a lot of wives throwing bottles at their husbands, homeless men sleeping, and some crackheads doing their thing, with the occasional prostitute in the mix.

Koori paid them no mind, but Kaneki fidgeted a bit in nervousness at the shady crowd. At last, both of them went to an underpass, where there were three men in blue coverall clothes. The three were talking amongst themselves and didn't seem to notice our two investigators. 

Koori raised his hand in a stop motion, and Kaneki did just that. Were these men... ghouls?

Kaneki's thumb gently brushed on the handle of his quinque case, Asaki lying within. He knew that the CCG killed ghouls, but now, only one thought was in Kaneki's head: would he be able to do it? Kill a human-looking creature. A flashback of a mother protecting her child whilst defending herself from Mado's onslaught came to mind.

Whilst Kaneki had his head in the clouds for a bit, Koori approached the group of men. They turned around and their faces grew paler by the second. One of the men had extremely short hair, slightly more than a buzzcut, and by the way, he was acting, it seemed that he was the leader of the group. The second had very short slicked-back hair and had his hands in his pockets. Lastly, the third man had spiky black hair that went everywhere and had blank, yet crazed eyes. The last individual seemed to suffer from some form of strabismus.

' Hello gentlemen, I am an investigator for the CCG. I would like to ask you some questions.' Koori took out his I.D and showed it to the men. The man with strabismus gently backed away, though the ringleader started eyeing up Kaneki and Ui. It seemed that he was getting ready for a fight. Ghouls then.

Kaneki swallowed hard and was sweating really nervously. The leader of the group stepped up to Koori.

' Huh? So what do you want? Wanna go man? Let's go!' The guy was getting more and more aggressive, but Koori and Kaneki couldn't do anything until the group was confirmed as ghouls. A memory of Article 12 of the ghoul countermeasure laws floated in his head.

The slicked-back hair guy stepped up to Koori, and that's when it happened. He activated his kakugan.

Ghoul-thug number 2 sent a punch at Koori, but he quickly dodged it. The ringleader, or ghoul 1, came running towards Kaneki and pinned him to a wall.

' See, I was telling you guys, we don't need to fear the box-carriers, they're all pussies.' said ghoul 1, while the crazy ghoul was in the background sitting on a stoop.

Ghoul 1 swung at him, but Kaneki swiftly ducked. The punch ripped into the corrugated metal sheet that was behind Kaneki.

The ghoul sneered at Kaneki. ' We were talking about how the doves were puttin' more 'n more pressure on us, that we'd need to leave the ward. But someone told us that eating ghouls made us stronger. Kinda the fad 'round these parts at the moment. How it'd "make us stronger". Guess they were right. We don't need to run from you box-carriers.'

Kaneki could hear the other crazed ghoul mocking him, while Koori was fighting ghoul 2, but why wasn't he using his quinque?

Concentrating on fighting the ghoul in front of him, Kaneki dodged a punch and kicked him right in the ribs, followed by a punch to the ghoul's left cheek. Kaneki was legitimately surprised when the punch connected, and even more so when his opponent crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain.

Turning his head, he saw ghoul 2 pinning Koori to the wall, ready to strike. Ghoul 3 sprang into action and activated his kagune, a rinkaku. The tentacle-like member inching closer and closer to Koori's face. His partner's face. His mentor's face. His friend's face.

Would he let that happen? Let Koori die?

No.

Blood boiling, Kaneki let out a battle cry and pressed his thumb on his attache case. A soft hiss came out, followed by the case springing open, and out came Asaki. Kaneki, out of sheer instinct, took the quinque by its handle and instantly swung the spine-like object towards ghoul 3. Asaki bounced off the wall, near the hole the first ghoul made, and the tip scratched the ghoul, followed by the rest of the protruding jagged edges. The result was an inch deep and a half an inch wide lesion that spanned the ghoul's torso.

The crazed ghoul howled and fell on his back, kagune dissipating slowly. Ghoul 2 rushed towards Kaneki, but he brought the rest of Asaki towards him and sent it out again in a circular motion. After spiraling in a matter of seconds, the quinque's tip landed straight through the ghoul's stomach. Normally Kaneki would have winced, but right now he was so consumed by his need to help Koori that he didn't notice.

Ghoul 1 got up and sent a kick towards Kaneki, which he blocked by using the middle part of Asaki as a shield, then ricocheting its segments to extend it fully, which was quite difficult in a small underpass, until it cut off the man's arm clean off. Koori, having gotten up, quickly killed ghoul 2 using Taruhi, whilst Kaneki was dealing with ghoul 1.

Ghoul 1, in a desperate attack, tried lunging at Kaneki, to no avail. He used the whip-like quinque by raising it high in the air and bringing it swiftly down on its blunt side, crushing the ghoul's spine and forcing him to bleed out. 

In a desperate sneak move, the zany ghoul, ghoul 3, jumped behind Kaneki and tried to attack his blindside. He turned and used Asaki to decapitate him immediately.

After all of this was done, Kaneki broke out of his bloodlust induced haze and looked at the carnage around him. Three dead bodies, two killed by his own hand. As a natural reaction, he immediately vomited, tears streaking down his face. Who knows how long he was like that, but after a while, Kaneki kneeled there silently, processing what happened.

He killed two ghouls, but wasn't that his job? Didn't he do it to save Koori? A small sigh escaped the aforementioned man and crouched down beside Kaneki. He started gently stroking Kaneki's back in order to comfort him. Then, he spoke.

' Kaneki... no, Ken. I didn't fight back earlier when I easily could of because I wanted to see what you would do. Would you freeze or fight back? You simply chose the hardest yet best choice. I'm grateful.'

Kaneki stayed silent a bit more. A million thoughts were swirling in his head. He felt a bit betrayed that the man he trusted would set him up, but he could see where he was coming from. Koori spoke again, in a soft; careful, caring, tone.

' Come on, get up. Let's get you cleaned up.'

Confused by what he was saying, Kaneki looked at his Investigator's coat and saw it stained with blood. Blood on the button, it's sleeves, his air. The dark viscous red stained his black tie, almost merging with the darkness, but still remaining there. His hands were slick with the sanguine substance. When did that happen? When he decapitated the ghoul when he dismembered him? Was he that consumed by bloodlust that he didn't even notice it?

He hurled again.

Sighing again, ' Or not.' said Koori.

In the meantime, Koori called whoever he called to clean up this mess, and Kaneki finally managed to stand up and put Asaki back into its case, though Koori was still loosely held Taruhi.

He gently ruffled Kaneki's hair, signaling a good job, and they slowly trudged back to the branch office. Koori spoke soft words of encouragement, but Kaneki felt hollow. An image of his mom came to his mind. Was he selfish in killing the ghouls, or altruistic by ensuring that they wouldn't eat anyone else?

He slowly turned to Koori and spoke up.

' Can we spar? In the case of next time.'

The simple question solicited a proud and beaming smile from Koori.

2367 words

Author's notes:

Sorry for the delay in posting, scrapped many times this chapter. Hide and Nishiki are up next (probably), and we should be seeing more of Amon, Shinohara, and Suzuya shortly, as well as the inner workings of the 4th ward. Around 5-10 chapters before Aogiri and Jason, still have no clue how to tie that in.

Please comment; negative comments, positive comments, advice, and critiques are accepted.

See you soon!


	19. Chapter 19 Slice of Life

A.N Something more lighthearted after that last chapter. I promise Nishiki is coming next chapter. I promise!

Two days have passed since the fiasco that occurred in the 4th ward. In its direct aftermath, Koori went to the Chateau and made small talk with Kaneki, enjoying a cup of coffee with him before leaving. The following day was rough, but Kaneki pulled through. They spent extra time on how to keep a clear and level head, something that was greatly appreciated by Kaneki. He showed Koori that he was capable of fighting ghouls, and Operation Mask displayed knowledge in conducting an Investigation. Kaneki was helpful and capable of doing office work with little mistakes. All in all, Koori succeeded at pounding the basics of working in the CCC into Kaneki (though Mado did the bare minimum first), accomplishing the task given by Director Washuu.

However, the thought of no longer being Kaneki's partner and mentor made him feel despondent. In the beginning, he thought of training the young rank 3rd investigator as a high-profile chore, leaving Arima squad for it, but orders were orders. As much as he hated admitting it, Ken grew on him. They weren't friends to the point where they knew each other very well, Koori had no idea of what occurred in his personal life and vice-versa, but he had a keen understanding of the half ghoul's thought process. 

Nonetheless, Koori had this desire to bridge that gap between him and his subordinate. He was sure Kaneki reciprocated this idea but was far too introverted to act upon it. Pondering about it, he got up from his office chair and looked out the window, smoking one of his Hope cigarettes.

Today he was going to be meeting Take, Arima, and Fura at a bar. It's been eons since that last talked (even if he saw Arima during the debrief for Operation Mask, but that didn't count), and he was pretty sure Arima and Fura haven't talked to each other in years despite apparently being childhood friends.

' Kaneki, I'm going to be out for the rest of the afternoon. Finish that report on how long it'll take to achieve closeout in the ward and continue working on anything else afterward. Got it?'

The aforementioned one-eyed ghoul numbly nodded. He was still a tad bit dead inside. After a quick sigh, Koori went out and donned a simple black jacket, not his work one. The early November air was still quite agreeable and crisp. 

He took the train all the way to the 1st ward, and a sense of nostalgia overcame him when he recognized some of the familiar sights of the ward. He's mostly been in the 4th ward, even before Kaneki arrived, and seeing his old workplace brought him a semblance of joy.

When he found the bar, one of his old haunts, he loitered in front for a bit, admiring the outside decor. He soon walked in and saw Take and Arima sitting at a table. They already had drinks but didn't seem to be talking. Koori walked up to them and shrugged his jacket off, placing his quinque case on the right of his leg.

Knowing both of his former superiors, they weren't going to start the conversation, so it was up to him to break the ice between the two stoic men. If only Fura was here to help him out...

' Hello, Arima-san, Hirako-san, how are you doing? Anything interesting going on for you or...?'

There was a fairly long silence before Arima spoke up. ' I attended Mado's funeral a while back, and as of now I'm maintaining stability in the 24th.'

Hirako maintained his placid look when he spoke. ' I might be moved to the 11th or 12th ward, seeing how the situation over there is, but as of now, I'm working in the 1st ward. Nothing special really'

Koori politely nodded at what the two were saying. Though the age gap between all of them was insignificant, their rankings and their friendship with Arima varied, with Take knowing Arima the longest, but still being a mere rank 1 investigator. Hirako asked him ' And how about you? Is the 4th ward giving you problems?'

Koori made a noncommital shrug at that. ' You know how it is. I've been trying to achieve close-out, but some ghouls still elude me. Cannibalism is on the rise as well, so there might be some nasty kakujas lurking about.'

' And how about your first subordinate? He seemed quite shy when I first met him, though I did see him from afar at Mado's funeral.'

Koori took a long drag from his cigarette, followed by a terse silence. ' Well... he became acceptable in terms of working for the CCG. Under my supervision, he grew in terms of physical prowess, quinque handling, etc... but I want to have more of a bond with him.'

A drawn-out silence ensued. Koori felt somewhat stupid for having admitted that out loud, but what is done is done. He quickly ordered some sake, but Arima was looking at him while deadpanning. Fuck he regretted this.

As if someone answered his prayers, Fura came into the bar. The stern-looking man seemed haggard. If Koori had to guess, trouble was brewing in the 7th ward. That or Fura's newborn daughter was being a pain. In either case, the regularly unfazed yet high-spirited man waltzed towards them and said hello with a non-commital wave.

' Kishou, it's been a while since I've seen you last. How are you? Still not living a normal life?'

Arima pushed a little bit of air out of his nose and seeing that Arima was almost always emotionless, the fact that he expressed bemusement at his old friend's antics was a good sign. 

' We're doing fine, thank you Fura. Koori here was griping about his problems, as he usually does, concerning his subordinate and their mentor-mentee relationship.' Replied Hirako, with a surprising edge of passive-aggressiveness.

' Your new subordinate? I didn't know you had your first partner. Good for you.'

' You know him.' Koori replied. ' He was the one that sent you the info on the Restaurant.'

Fura was a bit pensive before replying. ' Yes, I remember it. It's not every day you get insider information on a ghoul organization in your ward. How'd he find it anyways?'

' Classified.'

' Great.' Said Fura in an extremely sarcastic voice. ' So he seems competent, what's the problem with him?'

Arima replied for Koori. ' He wants to have a deeper "bond" with him.' Arima's tone was almost reproachful, but not quite.

While Koori one-sidedly bickered with Arima, Fura was thinking about how to help Koori. To get close to Arima when they were teenagers, they went around killing ghouls in the 13th ward. They also did other activities, and often casually bickered. They just did stuff.

' Koori, have you ever took your partner to dinner? Or tell him about your personal life? It must be intimidating to ask those types of questions to a superior, so he might abstain from doing so. You need to initiate the discourse.' Answered Fura. Lord knows he had to deal with anti-social workaholics, namely Arima, so he talked from experience.

' That's... that's genuinely good advice. Thank you, Fura.'

' No worries, I have my moments.' Fura said, shaking his head in mild amusement.

The group continued to talk and drink sake well into the night (I'm not writing everything cuz I'm lazy) and Koori left at around 10. He had a great idea and rushed to his office. Kaneki was still there diligently working, bless him, and didn't even look up to greet Koori.

Koori cleared his voice before speaking, immediately alerting Kaneki to his presence.

' Kaneki, I was wondering if you had free time tonight? I was thinking that we could go out and do something.' Kaneki's face immediately lit up, and he started furiously nodding in excitement. They both left their quinques at the office and went out. When Kaneki saw the place they were going to, however, he paled.

' Koori... we're going to a karaoke place?' Hide invited Kaneki to karaoke nights on more than one occasion, though he was too shy to really sing.

' Yes, it's one of my favorite things to do.' Koori walked to the counter and asked for a booth for both of them. The karaoke place was tacky, with black walls and zebra carpets. The smell of grease and alcohol lingered in the air. It looked like some brothel (Not that Koori would know), but the place had decent service. The green and purple lights illuminated the place, but there was still darkness in which you could slide into. But Koori didn't like the place for the look, it was the food. It had an excellent Korean barbecue.

When both of them entered their private booth, Kaneki settled down in a corner. As Fura said, he'll have to begin the conversation.

' So Kaneki, what do you like doing? Any hobbies?'

' Well, I like reading a lot. I also enjoy drinking different brews of coffee. And how about you?'

' Believe it or not, I enjoy scrapbooking and making collages.'

Kaneki chuckled a bit at that. ' You like taking pictures?'

' Why do you seem so surprised? I may be a hardass, but that doesn't mean I don't do things outside of work. For example, horseback riding is one of my passions.'

' Really? I never tried it.' Kaneki started leaning towards Koori, obviously warming up to the conversation. ' And what do you like to eat then? I use to like hamburgers but...'

' Korean barbecue. But I prefer eating it alone.'

After Koori masterfully avoided the sensitive conversation topic, both of them started small-talking and getting to know each other better. Even uncomfortable subjects like Kaneki's aunt and Koori's wealthy yet disapproving parents were mentioned, a first for the both of them. As the night went on, they started knowing each other more and more, and Kaneki started losing that dead inside look.

' Hey, Kaneki. Do you wanna try karaoke? Let me pick the song.'

' I guess...'

' Here. Unravel by TK.'

Kaneki grudgingly took up the mic, as did Koori, and that began singing the sad yet empowering song. And as the night grew older, their problems washed away with the song. 

Koori's mission was accomplished.

1745 words.

A.N 2 chapters in 4 days? I'm on a roll. I wanted to explore Koori's P.O.V a bit, might do it again further down the line.


	20. Chapter 20 The Chase Begins

A.N Back to tragedy.

It's been a couple of days since Kaneki and Koori went to karaoke, and their friendship has never been better. If you told Ken a couple of months ago that he'd get a new friend, he probably wouldn't have believed you, but here we are.

In any case, investigating the Restaurant has become more and more tedious. Koori believes that they might need to get some info. Some guy called Donato might have to be questioned, but it's mostly wishful thinking.

Because of the aforementioned reason, Kaneki is going to ask Koori if he could clock out earlier than usual. Normally your pay would be docked, but as it turns out, the CCG is very lax in that regard. The normal wages are fixed per week and extra bounties for ghouls that you exterminate. Even the low-rank ghouls that Kaneki "took care of" paid well, and so Ken had more money on his bank allowance that any 18-year-old rightfully should. 

Hopefully, Koori would be nice and let him leave early. One could only pray. The reason for which Kaneki was being so adamant about leaving was that he's going to meet Hide at Anteiku. Hide said that he'd bring a friend, an upperclassman from Kamii. 

Kamii, his dream college, the one he had to drop out of in favor of the CCG. Thinking about it made his heart hurt, but now he wasn't a threat to anyone, especially not Hide. He continued to be a human, even if everything changed.

Being forced to the CCG was a tough pill to swallow at first but now... he was starting to get used to it. A quick flash of a child crying while her mother died and a ghoul in work clothes bleeding out on the hard unforgiving concrete came to mind.

Koori walking in broke him out of his musings. Kaneki greatly appreciated his stern yet easy-going personality, a sharp contrast to his neuroticism. Kaneki shot him a smile and Koori nodded. He got up, quinque always in his pocket, and went towards the door.

' Where are you going Kaneki?' Koori said as he casually slid a cigarette out of its pack. He carefully lit it up in his slender hands and took a puff. ' Business hours are still in.'

Kaneki gulped and mentally chided himself. ' I finished the work for today and thought I could clock out. Is that ok?'

Koori gently hummed after taking a puff of his cigarette. He seemed pensive. Closing his eyes and sighing, Koori reluctantly agreed.

' But it's okay if you need me to stay! It doesn't bother me at all!' Kaneki was vividly shaking his hands and stroked his chin a bit. Liar.

' No, it's fine Kaneki. You've been working hard. Just take Asaki. You've been getting better at wielding it, almost on par with a seasoned junior Investigator. Always take either Ikraft and Abksol or Asaki, preferably both. You never know when you'll need them.'

' Got it, sir!' After smiling brightly at Koori, Kaneki practically dashed away from the office, almost tripping, and took Asaki in a hurry. Ikraft and Abksol always remained in his messenger bag, and as he took that too, he was all set to go.

Koori chuckled at the sight of his rushing subordinate. With every passing day, he enjoyed Kaneki's presence and his small quirks more and more. But damn he's troublesome.

As Kaneki was nervously standing in front of the elevator, he noticed a staff corkboard. There were some pamphlets and a couple of pictures of new staff members. Kaneki was there too, a picture of him smiling shyly and one or two investigators. There were announcements and groups of all kinds. Ones of particular note were: "Bureau of Counter Stress: practice yoga every Friday from 4 to 5 with fellow investigators!", "Lost a squad member? Call this number or join the CCG loss support group. YOU are not alone!", " Quinque handling tips and tricks of the week: bikaku quinques can be used to swing low at close range to cut a ghoul's legs off!", "Participate in the CCG Dandy contest!", and finally " Support your ward's office! Play in the CCG inter-ward baseball games!".

All of them were interesting in their own way, and the sense of belonging and community was strong. Even if he was forced to...

Shaking his head and deciding to not follow that train of thought, Kaneki finally went into the elevator. The crisp air-conditioned air made his spine shiver, and he wondered why they would keep it on in November. In any case, when he was in the lobby, he went through the RC gate and nodded in recognition at the receptionist.

Kaneki walked out of the 4th ward's branch office and set out to meet Hide at Kamii, from which they'll go to Anteiku. After getting off the train, he went towards the university, and standing outside was Hide, reading a book, a rare sight. Hide's head turned, and when he noticed Kaneki, his face immediately lit up and he started going towards him.

' Yo man, what's with the getup?'

Hide jogged lightly towards Kaneki and gave him a quick bro hug. Hide knew that Kaneki worked for the CCG, but he would wait until his friend tells him. Kaneki tends to be secretive, but it's always to "protect" him. So there's probably a good reason.

They quickly caught up with what the other was doing in their daily life, but Kaneki omitted anything CCG related. As they were talking, Hide's head bobbed up in excitement.

' Senpai! We're here!'

Out came a 20-year-old with messy hazelnut hair and glasses. Kaneki immediately noticed that he smelled like coffee. So this was Hide's senpai, he would have been his if he had continued at Kamii, but Rize stole that from him...

Sighing, Kaneki smiled and introduced himself. It was a breath of fresh air to present himself without the usual "Rank 3 Investigator" spiel. Then the upperclassman introduced himself.

' Hi, I'm Nishio Nishiki, from the pharmaceutical department. Hide invited me because we're both members of the same club.' Nishiki politely nodded, as did Kaneki. It was a fairly bright day out, meaning that many other groups of friends were up and about. But only one of them had a person in CCG getup.

The garb felt stifling, and it seemed to represent a divide between them. He took off the investigator trenchcoat and carried it on the same hand as his quinque case. He was still in a black suit and tie, but it was different. He still had a CCG pin on the right of his coat. The silver insignia with a dove in the middle and the words CCG were proudly displayed. It was almost like a rosette for winning a career that will probably lead you to your death.

Unbeknownst to Kaneki, however, Nishiki was staring at him from the corner of his eye. He was extremely nervous around the dove but had to keep himself composed or the investigator might get suspicious. He even had his box with him. Fuck.

The 20th ward was rather peaceful on this afternoon, and so the trio had a pleasant conversation. Apparently, Nishio was on the festival committee with Hide. There was to be a school festival at Kamii, and the planning was left to a dozen students.

They walked all the way up to Anteiku, the sweet yet sour, earthy aroma of coffee wafted from the building. Kaneki thought of Rize and everything that transpired since. Melancholy pooled in his stomach and looked at Nishiki. He was a bit dodgy and seemed nervous around Kaneki. Kaneki's senses were heightened since his encounter with Rize and the first odor he knew with his half-ghoul body was blood. And Nishiki reeked of it. Was this man... a ghoul?

Like many times before, a vision of Mado came up to him. " Trust your instincts Kaneki." Shaking his head, he resigned himself to pay attention to Nishiki.

When the trio walked in the warm atmosphere welcomed him. The heat coming from the radiator licked at his neck. They settled at a small table, and Kaneki stood up, put his trenchcoat and messenger bag on the back of his seat, and took his quinque case and put it between his legs. 

The same waitress, as usual, came up and asked them for their order. One frappuccino for Hide, one cookie, and black coffee for Kaneki, and another black coffee for Nishiki. Black huh...

Kaneki let Hide do most of the talking, whilst he was silently observing Nishiki. He was talking to Hide for 5 minutes before turning towards Kaneki. His dove gray eyes, pun intended, bore into Nishiki's very soul. Gulping and giving a shaky smirk, he went back and continued to talk to Hide. When Touka came with the drinks, he sent her warning signs with the way he looked at her, but to no avail. What could she do?

Nishiki knew one thing: he'd have to bullshit his way out of this one.

' So Kaneki huh? How come I've never seen you around campus? Ever since the semester began nobody has seen you.' Come on Nishiki, divert the attention from yourself...

Kaneki gave a polite smile and embarrassedly scratched his neck. ' Well uhh, I dropped out to work for the government. It's strange, I know. But it is what it is.' He shot a nervous smile and scratched his chin.

' So, what in the government do you do exactly? What branch? Spying gets you all the babes....'

Kaneki seemed pensive for a minute and quickly answered. ' Waste disposal and public security I guess...'

Nishiki's stomach dropped. It was official. Kaneki was a confirmed dove. He knew that Irimi and that bitch Touka heard what had just transpired. Please help him...

Miraculously, Hide spoke up. ' Sorry guys, but I gotta go to the bathroom. See ya!' Winking, he left for the bathroom.

No, God no. That was not miraculous. It was the very opposite of what Nishiki needed.

He was alone, with a dove who was suspicious. Fuck his life. He tried breathing to calm himself down. He sipped at his coffee and tried to make the next minutes count. It would've worked if Kaneki hadn't said what he did.

' I'm sorry Nishiki, but I'm not hungry anymore. Would you mind finishing this cookie for me? It'd be a sin to waste such good food.' The tone was syrupy and laced with malice. Unbeknownst to him, Kaneki was simply imitating Mado, though it didn't sit well with him.

Kaneki gently pushed the plate with the cookie on it towards Nishiki. To the human eye, it looked succulent, but to ghouls and Kaneki, it seemed absolutely revolting. Everyone in the cafe was watching what was unfolding with morbid curiosity. The cafe's temperature dropped 10 degrees.

' I'm not hungry myself so... I don't think that I-'

' Nonsense.' Kaneki interrupted, ' I insist you eat it. My treat. Or is something preventing you to eat it...?'

Shit, he's really suspicious now.

Nishiki took the cookie, grabbed it with both hands, and bit into it. He instantly "drank" it, and added fake chewing. He repeated it once again, the repugnant doughy texture, the bitter and almost toxic chocolate chips slid down his throat. Keeping up the facade of enjoying the food was excruciating, but he had to. For survival.

Kaneki still looked at him with a gaze that penetrated his very being, like he was reading a book. He gently nodded and took out his book, something about martial arts.

Then it struck him. What Kaneki's plan was. It wasn't him simply not being able to eat the cookie, it was also to wait and see if he'd use the bathroom after Hide. Nishiki couldn't throw up. If he did, his life was over.

The acidic bile crept up his throat, it's miasma spreading in his mouth. He had to keep it down. He had to.

The waiting game was already one minute in when it happened. Just as Hide was leaving the bathroom, Nishiki threw up on the table.

Nishiki lost, and his life was the price.

Nishiki tried to play it off but Kaneki smiled, walked out of the cafe, and placed a phonecall at the doorstep.

He wanted to cry. In the span of 15 minutes, his life was over. What did his dad die for? His sister? For this? To be found out by an 18-year-old greenhorn investigator.

Nishiki put his hands over his face and started to silently sob.

Then Kaneki came back.

He took something out of his wallet, texted Hide he had to leave, and showed it to Nishiki. The CCG I.D glimmered in the light.

Rank 3 Investigator Ken Kaneki.

Nishiki knew he could do one thing: Run.

He pushed Kaneki out of the way and sprinted like his life depended on it, which it did. 

Kaneki sighed, put his CCG trenchcoat on, took his messenger bag and quinque case, and dashed after Nishiki. The chase begins.

2174 words

Kaneki quinques (as of now):

Ikraft and Abksol: B

Asaki: A-

A/N

So happy to have readers in U.S, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, the U.K, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Phillippines, Indonesia, and Australia!


	21. Chapter 21 The Hunt

A.N who wants Kaneki and Amon to kick some ass? I do!

Kaneki was dashing through the streets of the 20th ward after Nishiki. He called Amon, who thankfully picked up. He was going to join up with him at another intersection and they'd hopefully take the ghoul, Nishiki, out together. He wished that he could've reunited with Amon under different circumstances, but this would have to do. 

His dove gray CCG trenchcoat flapped in the wind as he ran after Nishiki. The 20th ward had orange leaves littering the streets, and the brown ones, mushy after the rain, transformed into a thick paste that you'd slide on if you weren't careful. The concrete jungle hadn't fully taken over the area, so there were many open areas, giving the advantage to Kaneki.

Nishiki was pushing things in the street to block the passageway, but Kaneki jumped and dodged them all. Then it happened.

They were both at an intersection when it happened.

Nishiki went to turn right, but out came Amon. He had his quinque case, instantly opened it, and out came Kura. He used the massive blade and swung it horizontally. Nishiki jumped up to dodge it and stumbled back into a backroll. Behind Amon was Nakajima, still without a clean shave.

Onlookers were gathering, and because this was a busy intersection, Nakajima took the initiative and started doing damage control. He took out his CCG badge and told people to back away.

Bystanders accrued and they took their phones out. Amon glanced at Kaneki, nodded at him in recognition, and grunted in disapproval at the public's reactions. Some teens were filming and getting rowdy, which could be a risk. They had to end this soon or there might be a casualty.

Kaneki took out Asaki and twirled it around the front of him. It was positioned perfectly, and the tip was in the center. Then he moved it, ever so slightly, but with a lot of force. The whip-like quinque gave a loud crack, and the tip lurched forward. Nishiki dodged, the main part of the quinque, but one of the jagged edges of the various sections of the spine resembling quinque hit Nishiki, lacerating the left part of his abdomen. A collective gasp and some "whoa that's sick" from the teens in the audience rang out. Nishiki winced in pain and turned on his heel to try and escape.

Amon went to Nishiki's right, forcing him to turn left, where there was a dead-end alley. He was cornered. Amon and Kaneki, quinques out and side by side. Amon took the initiative and dashed forward, swinging Kura down. That's when it happened. Nishiki's eyes went black and took his kagune out, in a last act of survival. It was an electric blue kagune with a neon green tip. 

' Bikaku, huh?' Uttered out Amon in a low voice. Steely eyes pierced Nishiki's soul. Kaneki remembered the fact that rinkakus, which his quinque was one of, were weak when faced with bikakus. Amon also knew that, so he started attacking. He truly was a model and a battle-hardened investigator.

Nishiki wrapped the bikaku around his leg. Getting kicked by that would probably kill or grievously injure someone, so it best be avoided. He lunged forward at Kaneki and tried to land a kick. Koori's training kicked in. He quickly sidestepped the ghoul, and Amon overtook by bashing the sword on the ghoul's shoulder. A cry of pain rang out in the alley. Nishiki landed on some old tires and bounced off a bit.

Nakajima was now behind them and drew his gun. He was equipped with Q bullets, but he'd let the investigators do their job. Looking behind him, it seems the crowd migrated. He turned and made sure the fight remained contained within the alley. All the teens getting dares had to wait.

In the meantime, Nishiki got up. Blood dribbled from his mouth onto his shirt. He rushed forward, dodged Amon, and kicked Kaneki, square in the stomach. He could feel his ribs creaking under the pressure of the roundhouse kick. He was sent flying backward and crashed into some bystander who screamed. He coughed out warm blood and tried to get up. When he got sent back, Asaki was thrust out of his hand and onto the pavement.

Nishiki got out of the alley, black eyes blazing. If he was going down, he'd take the asshole who ruined his life down with him. Mid flunge, he kicked Kaneki straight in the face, broke his nose, took him by the hair, and threw him as a body shield towards Amon. He was losing consciousness, but Amon helped him up.

' Are you good, Kaneki?' said Amon, voice laced with concern.

But Kaneki didn't get the opportunity to answer. Nishiki kicked Kura, pushing Amon away. The fight spilled over again on the street, and the civilians saw how injured Kaneki was, so they were legitimately terrified.

' I'm going to fucking kill you, Kaneki. Just like how I was planning to for your dumbass friend!'

Nishiki's battle cry awakened something within Kaneki. He was going to kill Hide? My best friend? On my watch? No. NO!

Kaneki suddenly remembered something. He slid his right hand into his messenger bag. Just as Nishiki charged towards him, he took Ikraft out. Holding the knife-like quinque down, blade facing Nishiki, he swung.

It not only took Nishiki by surprise but also left a massive gash across his stomach. Arming himself with Abskol in his left hand, he went straight towards Nishiki. Amon followed suit, and crept behind Nishiki, Kura ready to strike.

The investigator duo tag-teamed and unleashed their attacks simultaneously. Kaneki ripped through Nishiki's innards, guts falling out of the deep cuts Kaneki inflicted. The blood-stained his hands, and revolted him. Kura smashed into Nishiki's back and probably destroyed his upper spine.

Nishiki's body fell with a thud, but he was still hanging on by a thread. Amon raised Kura to finish the ghoul off when, in a blur, the body disappeared.

When the three investigators looked around they saw it. On the fire escape, a lone figure stood tall. They wore a dark coat and pink hair. The white mask and its black mask were staring straight at them.

Amon, Kaneki, and Nakajima simultaneously uttered one word.

' Rabbit.'

10 minutes prior

Just as Touka saw Nishiki vomit, she knew she had to act fast. She disliked the asshole but seeing any ghoul dying in the 20th ward brought too much pain. Screw what the manager thinks, she was going to do this by herself.

Organizing her getup, she climbed up to the rooftop via the balcony that was in the staff lounge. She followed Nishiki and saw everything unfold. Those CCG bastards were martyrizing him. She smirked a bit when she saw the scrawny-looking investigator getting punted 10 meters in the other direction. Her smile dropped when she saw Nishiki get literally eviscerated before her very eyes. She had only a couple of seconds to act. Using her ukaku, she swooped down and rescued him.

Turning around, her gaze locked with that of the three investigators.

The show was about to begin.

Back to the Present

Amon, being the highest-ranked Investigator instantly took control of the situation. Whilst he was pleased to see Kaneki had grown in strength, now was not the moment to comment on such trivialities.

' Kaneki, walk slowly backward and retrieve Asaki. Then, give one of your blades to Nakajima. Keep one, just in case. I know you're in pain, but we must stop this bitch.' Amon's righteous fury and callous words morphed his sentence in a way words can't describe.

Kaneki did just as he was told. Not once did he look away from the ghoul's eyes. She had slung Nishiki on her back, like if she was carrying a small child.

He walked back to Nakajima and handed one of the blades. Its cold texture was already stained with blood. He gingerly took it and kept it in his left hand. There was an odd silence all around. The crowd was doing its thing, but the more squeamish of the bystanders understood the violence of the situation.

Nakajima knelt on a knee and aimed with his gun. He had a determined look on his face and calmed his heartbeat to make sure that his aim wasn't off. Kaneki, Asaki in hand, stood next to Amon. He had the utmost trust and obedience vested in Amon, and he was sure to listen carefully.

' Nakajima, Kaneki, be ready to engage the "Rabbit" ghoul. I have discerned it to be an S- ghoul. Kaneki, use your quinque in a way that will strike at her, forcing her to fight us. Because she's a hot-headed ghoul, she will probably rise to your attack. I'll do the attacking, Nakajima be the support, and Kaneki, you're long-range. I order you to coordinate your attacks with mine. We must overwhelm her with power, tire her out, and exterminate her accordingly. For Kusaba and Mado.' At the end of his speech, Amon's voice was barely louder than a whisper. Nakajima and Kaneki both answered in unison.

' For Kusaba and Mado.'

Kaneki wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand and gripped Asaki tighter. He used the handle to flick the quinque backward, gently so no damage was done. He flicked it again, this time with much more force. The tip landed mere inches from where Rabbit originally was, but she speedily avoided it. She jumped up to the rooftop, set Nishiki down, and landed gracefully 7 stories down.

Kaneki repeated the same action, and Rabbit came closer to them. She evaded the strike by doing a hand-stand. 

It had begun.

Amon was in front, Kaneki a meter or two behind and slightly to Amon's left, and Nakajima 3 meters behind Kaneki, in a corner, aim drawn on Rabbit.

Kaneki swung his quinque horizontally, forcing the she-ghoul to duck. Amon followed suit and quickly got back up. He swung Kura down, but to no avail. The first goal was to make her use her kagune. It was a war of attrition.

Apply pressure -> she uses her kagune -> she eventually tires out -> we finish her off.

The next couple of minutes were the same: Kaneki striking with Asaki and cracking the ground, Amon swinging with Kura, and Nakajima taking potshots, to no avail.

They tried over and over, but it wasn't working. Letting out a huff of air, Amon growled. He beckoned Kaneki closer and whispered in his ear. Amon's breath tickled him but now was not the time.

Kaneki nodded in understanding and positioned himself. He ran at the ghoul, kamikaze style, and attempted to kick her. He could feel the bitch smiling while she grappled him and threw him to the floor. She was about to slice him with her nails until the unexpected happened.

Kaneki used the moment when she grappled him to make Asaki's middle parts ricochet off the wall. The spine-like object did a backward crescent in the air so that the middle part, now fully extended, tore through her shoulder. Kaneki kicked her and jumped back. Amon overtook him and started attacking with Kura. She sliced his arm while dodging once or twice, but nothing too serious.

The pain was throbbing for Touka, so she knew she had to leave fast.

Activating her ukaku, she flew towards Amon and rapidly crystallized her kagune. Her shards went directly at him but used Kura as a shield. She was much faster now, but her speed will start to decrease soon. 

Flying all over the place, she unleashed the same attack a couple more times, all with the same result. 

Out of nowhere, Nakajima shot at her, and the bullet tore her cheek. That second of surprise changed everything. Amon swang at her with Kura and she was ready to dodge again, but then he broke the quinque into two parts. The first half was still used as a shield, whilst the second part bludgeoned her knee. Kaneki used that moment to use the ground beneath Amon's feet to ricochet Asaki's tip off of the ground, spearing Rabbit through the stomach, intestines, and liver, narrowly missing her spine. The quinque was a meter through her, and the tip was embedded in a wall. He pulled Asaki back, and the edges lacerated the left side of her body beyond recognition. Her kagune disappeared, and Nakajima shot her through the shoulder. Her body collapsed on the floor and started bleeding out. 

Amon approached her but was hit by a punch to the temple. She still had some fight in her and used her kagune to bolt her way out of there. Taking Nishiki with her, she parkoured her way on the rooftops all the way back to Anteiku, where she collapsed and passed out. Nishiki was barely alive, and both were in dire need of medical attention.

The investigators, on the other hand, only had scrapes and bruises, Kaneki's injuries having healed by now. Amon cursed loudly and punched the wall, whilst Nakajima called medical professionals.

Unbeknownst to Kaneki, a golden-haired boy watched it all.

Half an hour later

Kaneki just got checked by the E.M.T's and sat at the back of an ambulance. He had a woolly blanket around his small frame. Nakajima, who was relatively unharmed was a ways off. A person approached the ambulance. Kaneki turned to see them, thinking it was Amon, but no. It was Hide.

Kaneki was mortified and left speechless. Hide shot him a shy smile.

Kaneki could only utter a few words. ' Did you see?' Hide nodded, and sat beside Kaneki, rubbing circles on his back.

' You were awesome, man. You did amazing.'

' You're... not mad? That I lied to you. I- I'm sorry Hide, I'

Hide shushed him. ' It's fine man, I don't wanna pressure you into telling me anyways. Just... stay safe. I care about you okay.'

Kaneki slowly nodded, answering with a single 'I'll try my best.'

Hide laughed and started doing the play by play of the fight. It was light-hearted and peaceful. Their laughter and chuckling ran out through the late afternoon.

Everything was going on swimmingly until Kaneki's phone dinged. When he saw who texted him, he had a heart attack. It was Koori. The text read: So you go on a trip and manage to fight an S- ghoul? Someone is an eager beaver for action. We'll have to remedy that. You did well but NEVER do that again. Come back as soon as possible so we'll talk about it.

Kaneki was so fucked.

2461 words.


	22. Chapter 22 The Assembly and the 11th ward

A.N Hope you guys enjoy it! More action on the way. And Aogiri is finally here (kinda).

Kaneki stopped at the chateau for a brief moment, to put his trenchcoat in the washing machine. It was ripped and stained with blood, but he still held hope for it. He might have to sew it himself, but he wished for it to remain salvageable. He went to his closet, the polished wood creaking with his every step, and took out new clothes.

He had a phone call with Koori in which it was revealed that he had to dress up properly: he had to attend a meeting in the 1st ward's main office. A couple of months have elapsed since the last time he was there, but that was fine. 

Dressed up in his finest CCG garb, he walked to the office. The chateau was in the 1st ward, not the 4th (he didn't mind the commute, being in the heart of Tokyo was worth it) so walking was the best office. He still had Ikraft and Abskol in the messenger bag, and Asaki was neatly tucked into his attache case.

The bustling city around him was distracting, and he got lost a couple of times while walking to the office. The building was soon in sight, however, and in front of it was Koori smoking a cigarette. Kaneki's face lit up at the calming presence of Koori. Koori himself smiled back, but he would never admit it. When Kaneki came closer, Koori pretended to go in for a hug before slapping him on the back of his head.

' Pray do tell, why did you go after an S- ghoul? And not only that but damn near won? Do you not have any regard for your safety? ' Koori continued chewing Kaneki out, but only half-heartedly. Truth be told, he was impressed that Kaneki had the balls to go after a ghoul out of the blue. But because Kaneki had the survival instincts of a suicidal lemming, it best is avoided.

After a long tirade of berating, Kaneki looked downtrodden. To perk him up, Koori simply said. ' You were surprisingly good out there. Training pays off, see?'

The wide and dorky smile Kaneki gave was worth it.

The duo walked into the huge building and took an elevator to the top floors. On their designated floor, there was a hallway with wall-high glass panes, giving a beautiful view of Toyo. It was the late evening by now, and there was an orange-yellow hue in the sky. The sunset was mesmerizing, and Kaneki had one thought in mind: this was what he needed to protect.

Dragging him on, Koori strutted into a huge room. Pairs of Investigators were everywhere, each pair having their desk. Koori and Kaneki were in the second row and quickly sat down.

Koori crossed his legs and put his quinque case next to him while Kaneki held his knees together, attache case in front of his feet.

There was a subdued mumbling in the room and some apprehensive faces, but most not. Everyone more or less looked the same, with the uniform and all, so Kaneki kept to himself. Koori had a serious face on, so he decided not to talk to him.

Everything was going well until someone kicked the door open. A familiar, abrasive middle-aged man with black hair came. Kaneki recognized him, having seen him after Operation Mask.

It was Itsuki Marude.

Oh no.

' Settle down guys, I don't have all day!' He boomed, while simultaneously readying himself in front of them. Was this a seminar of sorts?

' So, as you may or may not have noticed, you are all investigators working on slow/cold cases or working in branch offices with few incidents. Many faces from the 8th and 17th ward, with a few others.'

There was a low rumble of acknowledgment in the room. Kaneki knew that the Restaurant case was slowing down, but it surely wasn't cold, was it?

He looked at Koori, who guessed what he was thinking, and made a so-so movement with his hand. Kaneki deflated, as he thought they were doing good.

Marude continued. ' Now, as you may know, the 11th ward is in a crisis. Many good men have been killed and we have received distressing news. All investigators of the branch office situated in the ward have been killed. No survivors. They are currently incapacitated. The 11th ward is brimming with ghouls, and hunting down the men we have left there.'

Kaneki was shocked. He couldn't possibly imagine everyone in a branch office to be murdered. There were hundreds of employees at the 4th ward's office, just imagining them dying made his stomach churn.

' Even worse,' Marude continued, ' this is starting to spill over to wards 9 through 12. We've already sent many investigators to these wards, but we'll have to tackle the heart of the problem with you: we need you to patrol and kill as many ghouls as possible. Simple.'

No, that was not simple at all. Kankei's knuckles whitened as he clenched them harder together.

' The 20th ward is also mildly unstable at the moment, but a Special Class investigator, as well as an Associate Special Class, with their respective partners, have been dispatched there. It's more of a precautionary measure to ensure that the northern ward doesn't fall when the southern wards are almost overrun by ghouls. If that did happen, we'd be sandwiched and the 15th ward would also probably fall.'

The news was mildly reassuring but also terrifying, the thought of all of the Western part of Tokyo being controlled by man-eaters. Kaneki struggled to keep composure, but seeing Koori remain calm, he strived to do the same as well.

' Now, for the juicy bit... evidence suggests that the ghouls of the 11th ward are organizing themselves. Rare, but not unheard of. Until you realize that they have multiple S rate ghouls leading them. Jason is one of them.'

A collective wince was felt by the room. Who was Jason?

' I know, I know. These guys are no joke. But we must prevail! By tomorrow, everyone in this room will be fighting for Tokyo. Good luck, and break a leg, preferably a ghoul's.'

There were some uneasy chuckles, and people got up to walk out. Kaneki was feeling queasy, but Koori kept walking at a brisk pace. Before walking out, they took a file each with any relevant information on the 11th ward's situation. The manila folder was quite thick, which deeply worried Kaneki.

They walked out of the building before Koori looked at Kaneki. 

' Go home, rest up, and go to bed early. Eat whatever you need to eat, or whatever the CCG gives you. Tomorrow I'll need you to be on high alert. Meet me at the 4th ward branch office at 5 o'clock sharp. No excuses. You're dismissed.'

Koori turned around and left Kaneki alone. It was already 6 pm, and the loneliness started creeping in. Thankfully, his phone dinged, with Hide sending a message to him. A smile crept upon his face and texted him while walking. He might've been hit by a car, but who cares.

At the chateau, Kaneki crashed on his bed, it's softness comforting him. He scrolled up to see all the messages he and Hide sent to each other, which there were many.

Looking at the Manila folder, he decided that he should probably read it, as well as eat.

Going to the fridge, he got out a container of the paste the CCG feeds him. It had no real taste but satisfied his hunger well enough. He microwaved it, why not, and put it on a plate. He also made himself some instant coffee to make the night extra special.

Sitting down, and having a taste of the somewhat bitter drink, he sighed to himself before opening the folder.

Inside was a list of everyone that was sent to the 11th, along with some bits and pieces of info on the ward's history with ghouls in general. Then, he found where the real important things were. A map of the Investigator killings, which were mostly concentrated near the coast and lower-income neighborhoods. Pictures of piles of joggers killed by ghouls disposed near the beach. A nota bene said that "ghouls tend to dispose of their victims here because the smell of the ocean overpowers that of the rotting bodies". Nice.

Pictures of investigator's corpses, CCTV footage of ghouls organizing themselves, and the CCG bureau office in flames were part of the document. There were some bits and pieces on wards 9, 10, and 12, but it was mostly about how the uprising has spread to those areas. It also seemed ghouls not affiliated with the group were also joining in for the fun.

The violent pictures sickened Kaneki, so he had to stop eating.

Then, there was a list of the ghouls living in the 11th ward that may(are definitely) be dangerous.

Ghoul's Name/ Alias Rating

Noro SS

Jason S

Neesan S

Hagi (unknown status) A

Formerly inhabiting the ward:

Binge Eater S

When Kaneki saw that last one, his eyes bulged out of his head. Rize used to live there? Would anyone know anything about her there? The possibility to get some new information on that woman, his siren, spurred not only determination but some anger within him. He had to get information on her, as to know who she is and why he was made into a half-ghoul by Rize and Kanou.

Marching towards his bed, he pulled the covers over him. Tomorrow would indeed be a big day.

The following morning, 5 AM

Kaneki yawned as he was waiting at the office for Koori. He was ready to rumble, albeit a bit sleepy. His sense of duty kept him awake though. Koori came out of the building, quinque case in hand. It looked slightly different from the usual one, so it was probably another quinque. He probably got the big guns out for this one. 

Koori walked up beside him and lit up a cigarette. It gave off a reddish light that went well with the sleepy atmosphere.

' If you're wondering, we still have the Restaurant case, but because the 7th ward is working a lot on it as well, we have been sidelined for a while. We'll return to it in due time. For now, we must bring order back to the 11th ward.'

Kaneki was somewhat happy to stay on the Restaurant case (a part of him wanted to lock all those sick fucks forever in jail) but was perturbed by Koori's calm attitude.

' Koori, had a situation in the 11th ward happened previously, you don't seem too bothered by it.'

' Yes, but both were before my time. It was in the 2nd ward a decade ago and the 3rd and 4th wards around 8 years ago, both for different reasons.'

' The 4th was overrun by ghouls? I can't even imagine that.'

' You best believe it. Start walking with me. The 3rd and 4th not only had lots of ghouls, but they were dominated by the Clowns. Even with Arima, the operation to exterminate them was a close call. We lost many men. And still, the clowns survive to this day. They're one of the oldest ghoul organizations, being at least around 45 years old.'

Koori walked to the parking lot where awaited a car with CCG in bold letters. Their means of transportation it seems.

Kaneki went in the passenger seat and strapped the seatbelt on, intently listening to Koori's monologue.

' In the case of the 2nd ward, it was attacked numerous times, in which many investigators were killed.'

' Did you uh kill the ghouls in the 4th ward?' asked Kaneki with a quizzical tone.

' Me? No no no no no no. It happened 8 years ago. I'm only 25. At the time I was still in High School.' Koori laughed the question off before returning to the subject of the Clowns.

' You met a member of the Clowns correct? Picture him, but with people even stronger than him. That's who composes the upper echelons of the Clowns. They even had an SSS-rate member.'

' What?' Kaneki has only heard the word SSS-rate used sparingly, but he knew that they were the strongest ghouls. Absolute powerhouses and forces of nature.

' Yes, the Dodgy Mother. Unknown kagune, took out by Tsuneyoshi Washuu, now Chairman of the CCG. This happened in the 40s though. Demon Tsune earned his position as Chairman, even though some nepotism was involved. In any case, attacks like this where an entire ward falls are extremely rare. Be ready for anything.'

' Y-yes, sir!' Kaneki shouted, before being reprimanded by Koori. Never shout in a car, no matter how enthusiastic you are. Ken burned in embarrassment the whole way.

After spending quite a while in traffic jams on the highway, they were finally in the 11th ward.

They were near in front of the CCG office of the 11th ward and was it in shambles. The ghouls did a number on the place. Broken window panes were visible from the outside. When he walked in, Kaneki was shocked at how destroyed the place was. Blood smeared on the wall, the lingering intoxicating smell enticing Kaneki. Scratch marks (kagune marks?) on the floor and the RC scan gate torn in half. There were a dozen pairs of investigators in the lobby. Cleaners were attending to the upper floors, so no point going there. Hearses were outside, still evacuating the bodies, or what was left of them. No need for ambulances.

The sheer violence that he saw in front of him brought a grimace to Kaneki's face. Koori gestured for them to leave. Word got to Koori that the ghouls also raided the armory, taking guns, rifles, and Q bullets with them. This was getting out of hand

Outside, they started by going to the beach, where the ghouls supposedly routinely disposed of their victims.

' Kaneki, your quinque handling skills are satisfactory at the moment. So we'll be training you on the field for something I've been avoiding if I'm quite honest. Your kagune. You have a powerful rinkaku, courtesy of Kanou, and you need to learn to control it. That's what we'll be doing here. And if push comes to shove, I'll subdue you, though I'm confident I won't have to. Director's orders.'

Kaneki gulped. His kagune? He only used it a handful of times, mostly instinctively. Is it just like a quinque? He was clouded by anger most of the time when he used it so he had no clue. The duo started walking, waiting to see any action. The ghouls here had gotten so bold and arrogant here that they killed in broad daylight, some with no masks on.

With ghouls, being bottom feeders of the highest degree, back alleys were their natural habitat, so that's where they went. Nothing much for a while, until they reached a narrow street. Unbeknownst to them, however, a ghoul was standing on a lampost.

Readying her ukaku, she immediately set off a barrage of shards. She then proceeded to swoop down to try and instantly down them. Her kagune resembled pair of spotted lanternfly wings. The shards were white and pockmarked black, though nobody cared to look. The dumbass investigators wouldn't know what hit them. She attacked the one with the androgynous look. She got close to him and turned so that she could kill him with a slash of her wing.

Except that the slash never came.

It took a second for her to see that her right arm was cut off and her kakuhou pierced, disabling her ukaku.

A second passed and a thunk was heard. Her head fell on the hard concrete. It was over before it started.

Kaneki stayed silent for a second, then asked ' That isn't Taruhi, is it? The quinque you're wielding.'

' Very observant of you, no this isn't Taruhi.' remarked Koori dryly. Kaneki instantly tensed up in nervousness. ' This is Ajite. An SS rate quinque. I decided to bring the big guns, just in case. You never know. I don't use it often, and I probably won't after today. Quite a letdown the ghouls here are.'

' If you say so...'

' Kaneki, you do realize you could've pierced her easily with your rinkaku? We'll have to walk more to find a practice target. Just call a cleanup crew while we're at it.' Koori sighed while shaking his hand. Kaneki did so, but not before looking at the sad body of the girl.

They continued walking in the back streets but to no avail. Nothing of note happened until they turned at a corner and saw two dead investigators, lying in a pool of their blood. One of them had a slash on the neck and the other had a massive hole in his gut. It seemed that a chunk of his leg was bitten off, probably consumed by one of the perpetrators. The work of a bikaku and rinkaku, no doubt. The perpetrators may still be in the area. Upon closer inspection, Kaneki found their CCG badges (touching dead bodies was gross, he almost threw up, but Koori scoffed, and that instantly suppressed the urge to vomit) and got their names: Riku Watanabe and Kaito Takahashi. May they rest in peace. Once again they called a cleanup crew, they would scour the pavement of their bodies. 

Both of the investigators were on high alert, but Koori didn't show it. Then, Kaneki noticed something.

' Koori! I can smell the investigator's blood! They're over there.' Pointing in a general direction, they followed whatever smell picked up on. Koori liked this, it was like having his own personal bloodhound. This continued for an hour or so until they saw it. 

Three individuals, two male, and one female, all dressed in mauve cloaks with an eagle stitched on the back. One of the men had a pale full-faced mask with a broad rectangular grin and two elongated hexagons used for the eye-holes.

He was berating the other two for some reason. They were sure that one was a bikaku and the other was a rinkaku, due to the marks left on the bodies. One of them was a trump card, however.

The girl had brown hair tied in abun, with soft brown eyes, but with no discernible features. The same could be said about the male, but he had purple oval glasses.

The masked man started yelling even louder now, and Kaneki could hear what he said.

' You dumb lovey-dovey degenerates! I've seen some retards in my time, but you two take the cake. Fuckin' unbelievable. Bitching and moaning about "Ooh I can't kill a dove, it's against my moral values". Shut the fuck up, be grateful Aogiri took you in and feeds your miserable hides.'

Koori walked behind and coughed loudly, interrupting the hot-tempered ghoul. ' Sorry, what is this about "not killing doves"? I would love to know.'

That shut the man up quickly, and Kaneki could practically see his crestfallen face. The man stupidly let out a battle cry and charged at Koori, fist ready to punch him.

Koori made quick work of him by instantly slicing him with Ajite. 

The two remaining ghouls, lovers apparently (can ghouls even love?), held each other tightly. And like all sentient beings do when they're outmatched, they begged for mercy and their lives.

' We didn't mean to, we're sorry, we were forced to! He was going to kill us! We're sorry! Please, I beg of you. I beg of you! Don't do this. Please find it in your heart to have mercy.' Their sentences continued, with little effect on Koori, but a tremendous one on Kaneki. Like this, vulnerable, they almost seemed, well, human.

' Kaneki, you know what to do. And not with your quinque.'

(Quick A.N., this part is for the people asking for Kaneki to use his kagune.)

It dawned upon Kaneki what he had to do. He didn't really know how to activate his kagune, so he just stood there.

Koori sighed and instantly understood what the problem was. He rolled his sleeve up, and cut his forearm with Ajite. Kaneki looked at him in horror (and hunger?) and yelled at him to stop. It had the desired effect, however, and his kakugan activated, still shielded by his eyepatch.

He tried feeling for his kakuhou and twitch it. After a couple of unsuccessful tries, he finally managed to do it.

Kaneki felt a throbbing pain in his lower back. Out came a three-pronged blood-red rinkaku kagune. It was gently moving in the breeze, and a crackle was heard each time it moved.

' Are-are you a ghoul? Why? Why are you doing this?' Screamed the girl, tears falling freely. Closing his eyes, he felt his kagune and tried to make it move forward. It worked. This time, he repeated the action with more force. His kagune speared the girl through her body, instantly crushing her chest cavity. The rinkaku slammed on the ground, cracking it. Ok, that was too much force apparently.

A cry of despair from the man rang out. Hot angry tears spilled from his eyes. Kaneki turned to face him, and just slammed the rinkaku into him, turning him into a fine paste. Revolting.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a single tear escaped from Kaneki's eyes as his kakugan faded and his rinkaku disappeared.

Koori was surprised, as this was the first time he saw the kagune. It was massive by normal standards and three-pronged, which was extremely rare. What transfixed him was the way it swayed behind him, like an octopus. Kaneki looked menacing with it. But at the end of the day, it's just Kaneki.

Breathing deeply and sharply, Kaneki called the cleanup crew, even though he felt like he was repulsive for what he just committed.

3680 words

A.N 4K Views on Wattpad! Let's go! Any questions, just comment! Thanks for all the love. 3 chapters in 4 days were rough though, not gonna lie.


	23. Chapter 23 Bear

A.N Congrats Chyme-Chyme for getting the question right! In any case, our Kaneki stays (relatively) pure for not much longer. 

Kaneki was currently sipping on some coffee in a room at the CCG's 1st ward office. The 4th ward was being run just fine in Koori's absence, thanks to the strict guidelines he laid out. The two of them were to report back to the 11th ward soon enough, but for now, they were staying in the 1st, for another "seminar" with Marude. Updates on the situation were crucial, and all investigators submitted reports detailing their findings. Koori let Kaneki do the grunt work for that, saying it was good to practice, but he knew he was just being lazy.

In any case, Kaneki was waiting for Koori who was currently in the bathroom. Many investigators flocked to the breakroom, but there were no familiar faces. Kaneki knew he had to open up and make friends with other people since he didn't have any save for Koori, Amon, and Hide. He didn't want to count Uta and Itori, those man-eating beasts, but they still seemed... amicable. He shook his head and started thinking of other things. Ghouls were at the back of his mind after using his kagune and...

Koori walked back in and sat down in front of Kaneki. The two shared the table, but Koori started reading the newspaper. Kaneki opted to take out his book, No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai, and started reading, immersing himself in the novel. He gently tapped his foot against Asaki while doing so, but the nervous habit went unnoticed by him. Koori looked up and stared at him. When Kaneki caught his glare, he immediately stopped and blushed in embarrassment. Koori sighed.

' Are you still angry at what happened? I don't hold it against you.' Koori spoke out.

Kaneki's lips thinned out and he put his book down. ' I-I was roused. By you. Your blood. And I hated that. Not only that but that you had to h-hurt yourself. For me. Because I was too weak to control my kagune.' Kaneki whispered while progressively stuttering more and more, hoping no one would hear.

' Kaneki, I did it of my own initiative. I can't fault you for it. The guilt you're experiencing proves you're human on the inside. In any case, your rinkaku is very strong. You already have 3 tails, which is very rare in general.'

' Thanks, I guess.' Kaneki uttered out lowly. Deciding to change the conversation, Kaneki asked, ' How are we going to help the 11th ward recover? Everything is...'

' That's up to the top brass Kaneki. I'm only Assistant Special Class and you're a rank 3. These decisions are not up to us. Shikao Kurita and Bureau Director Washuu, as well as Marude, are the ones in the know. Just do what you have to do Kaneki. And what you have to do is kill ghouls.'

Kaneki nodded before returning to his book, his guilt only slightly quelled. Sometimes, it's better to not think about your problems and hope for the best. Right?

After a good long while, a middle-aged man with glasses walked in. The man had a dark grey suit with a mint tie. Behind him was another man with thick eyebrows and a large nose in a navy suit and green tie as well. The matching green ties were a bit odd, but they seemed serious.

Koori stood up to greet them. ' Assistant Special Class Chino, Senior Investigator Tainaka. You're also here? I didn't see you yesterday.'

Assistant Special Class Chino shook his head. ' We just arrived an hour ago. Marude and the higher-ups are putting a lot of resources in the 11th. I'm to organize a medium-sized squadron to go deep in the ghoul controlled neighborhoods of the ward. Tainaka was supposed to be in charge of the 23rd ward during my absence, but at the last minute, they decided to move him here too.' Chino shifted a bit to the left and noticed Kaneki. ' I heard that you were moved from Arima Squad and given a partner. Is that him, Assistant Special Class Ui?'

Kaneki knew that this was his queue and got up and bowed. ' I'm rank 3 investigator Ken Kaneki. Pleased to be working with you.' 

' You got a polite one huh? Good for you. And a rank 3 as well, must be special then?'

Koori did a fake smile and nodded. ' Special is one way to describe him. On the force for 4 months and already has 4 kills to his name, as well as fought an S- rate ghoul. He doesn't look like it but he can be quite foolhardy at times.'

Tainaka hit Kaneki on the back in an amicable manner, and he immediately tensed up. ' And how old is he? Can't be over 20. And to be commissioned by Demon Tsune himself... wow.'

Kaneki hated all the attention and kept to himself. Chino kept talking to Koori however.

' Kuroiwa, Hirako, me, you, and a couple of others are dispatched to the 11th. Hell, even Shinohara might come. The situation is quite dire to warrant all of this attention from HQ.' Kaneki desperately tried to keep up with all the people being mentioned, but couldn't. Koori seemed to recognize every one of them, so they must be important.

Katsuya Mabuchi, a rather flippant buck-toothed man, Marude's partner, came in. He told everyone that the meeting room was now open and that they had to stay there until Marude came. A collective groan was heard and everyone shuffled into the adjoining room. 

Instead of the rows of tables facing the screen, there was simply a massive oval table in the room, and everyone took their seats.

Partners were side by side, and Kaneki still had Asaki with him. His skill with his quinque was immense, as he translated how he would use his rinkaku (the little of what he remembered after the times he used it) to how he would use Asaki. His movements with the quinque were much less janky as of late.

After what felt like an eternity, Marude walked in and took his seat at the end of the table. He slammed the papers on his desk before sitting down.

' Ok gents. We have cleaned up a couple of vermin, but we lost some good men in the process. Each duo will have a minute to give a short status report. Go. We're strapped for time here.'

And so the most boring status report giving took place. It was interesting but so long. When it finally came to Koori and Kaneki, Kaneki did the talking.

' In total, we killed 4 ghouls. On the way to kill the last 3, we found the bodies of Riku Watanabe and Kaito Takahashi. We killed their ghoul aggressors.'

Marude leaned forward and made a triangle with his fingers. ' 4 ghouls killed by a pair consisting of an Assistant Special Class. Those are rookie numbers. Why is that?'

Koori spoke up. ' We took a significant amount of time tracking the aggressors down. When we did, it ended fairly quickly.'

'Oh... and pray tell, how did you find them?'

Koori pondered on it for a second before answering. ' You know that Kaneki is a bloodhound when he wants to be.'

To everyone else, it was a compliment. But Marude understood the hidden message: Kaneki literally smelled the blood and sniffed them out. Only Special Class Investigators knew of what Kaneki was, so it was no surprise that the others were a bit confused. Marude only grinned and nodded.

It seemed that Marude was fond of Kaneki for his "special abilities", and after Operation Mask, even more so. A pragmatist at heart won't pass up this opportunity.

The reports continued for a while longer until it finally came to a stop. Mabuchi stood up and started reading from a paper.

' We have received many reports of the ghouls calling themselves "Aogiri Tree". And the organization might be led by The One-eyed Owl. Sightings of Jason, Neesan, and the Bin Brothers have been reported. We don't know if there are more ghouls S rate ghouls and above under the command of the Owl. But the presence of an SSS-rate greatly changes the operation. We have invited some Special Class Investigators in case the Owl shows itself. Not only that, but the 13th ward branch office has contacted us, saying that Jason has cannibalized and may have a kakuja.'

Murmurings broke out at the news that the Owl was leading them. It was suspected, but many hoped that it wouldn't come true. Mabuchi cleared his throat and continued.

' Some other nuisances have been identified. Senior Investigator Take Hirako has uncovered that the A rate Mercenary ghoul is with Aogiri and that we may assume that he is using the rifles stolen from the 11th ward branch office. Hirako, we heard your report, but please go more in-depth.'

A plain man of average height in a suit stood up. He was barely noticeable but visibly quite skilled.

' As my partner, Kuramoto Itou is attending to other matters, I'm alone in the 11th ward. I wandered around the ward until finding two ghouls, killing one and critically injuring the other. I followed the injured ghoul to another location, where he conversed with a supposed Aogiri member. This is where I learned of the Mercenary ghoul's whereabouts and that many ghouls from the 24th ward were in the organization. I then proceeded to eliminate them all.'

Hirako stood back down and had an empty gaze. What an absolutely anonymous and forgettable man.

Mabuchi continued speaking, but took out some files in manilla folders and distributed them to each duo. 

' You've been all assigned a minor target that we believe is a member of the Aogiri Tree. Your objective is to find additional information on them or the ward in general. More information is in the folder. Read it, or not I don't really care.'

Mabuchi and his ever flippant personality were a change of pace from the stone-cold CCG members, but this was getting out of hand. Kaneki took the folder and looked inside.

Alias: Bear

Rc Type: Koukaku

Rating: B

General Info: Seems to dispose of the victims of ghouls in the 11th ward. Maybe an Aogiri member. 

Marude spoke up to explain the meaning of the files. ' These are all low-tier ghouls that don't pose a problem strength-wise, but their positions or knowledge is what counts. We received most of our information on them through interrogation and CCTV footage.'

Kaneki flipped through the pages and saw a man in a cloak putting a body in an Adidas bag. The picture was grainy and of poor quality, and it was taken from the back, so no face could be seen.

Koori softly said that this case was gonna be a pain in the ass. Kaneki kicked him gently as a means to tell him to quiet down.

So this was their target? How would they track him down? He seemed quite elusive, so Bear would have to be pinpointed to an exact location before they could act. What were they going to do?

' Don't worry Kaneki, I've got a plan.' Koori looked at him and put his hand on his shoulder. The meeting was adjourned and everyone went their separate ways. Just as Koori was walking outside the door, Marude motioned for him to come closer. Kaneki stood in the hallway and could barely hear anything. He could see, however, that Koori's eyes widened and that Marude had a grave look.

Koori briskly walked out and went down to the parking lot without sparing a glance to Kaneki.

' Do you know how to drive?' He asked. 

' Yes Koori, I ca-'

' Then drive.'

The curt answer made Kaneki sink back into his driver's seat. The trip to the 11th ward was uneventful, and Kaneki followed the directions that Koori gave along the way. They ended up in the general vicinity of Bear's activity.

Both of them got out of the car, and Koori slammed his door. He seemed pissed after his conversation with Marude, and it was still a touchy subject, so it's best avoided.

' Koori, what's your plan? We're in the middle of nowhere so...'

' Kaneki, what is Bear's primary function here?'

Kaneki felt that that was a dumb question. ' He cleans up the corpses of ghouls and more often than not, the remains of humans. But you know this, so why are you asking me this?'

' Use your brain Kaneki. We're going to lure him with a trap. We'll kill a ghoul and leave the body, and wait. If we get lucky we'll be able to intercept Bear. Best case scenario we capture and interrogate him, worst case scenario we kill him and don't learn anything.' Koori took out his cigarette and started smoking, smoke rising from his nostrils. Kaneki just stood there, a bit dumbly, and waited for Koori to finish.

As the ash fell onto the pavement, Kaneki felt like time stopped. He felt something odd, like a premonition. That something in the near future was going to happen to him. He couldn't explain why he felt that. It was probably nothing. Looking at the ash on the floor, he noticed a black worm. Crouching down, he noticed that it was in fact a centipede. WIth black armor and a blood-red head.

' Kaneki, hurry up! We don't have all day.'

' Of course, Koori. I'm coming.' Kaneki jogged all the way back to his partner's side and walked alongside him. The two walked together, but Kaneki couldn't help but look back at the insect.

(2-hour Timeskip.)

The duo repeated the same thing that they did yesterday, that is walking around in the back street in the hopes of finding a ghoul. Any ghoul would be fine. They were in a quiet lower-income area that was adjacent to a large street that was bustling with activity and shops. Koori said that ghouls would probably find their prey in one of the shops and follow it into the quiet residential area, before killing it in a back alley.

The faint noise from the busy district could be heard in this area, and the December breeze was starting to getting increasingly colder. Koori stayed mostly silent; there was no banter between the two during an investigation.

When the two of them took a left, they heard a sharp scream. It was a woman's voice, and not so far from here. It could be a robber or a ghoul. Regardless, they went towards where the sound came from. 

It was in an empty parking lot, and there was a white 2004 Toyota Sienna with the door open.

A hooded figure was on top of another, and noises could be heard. Biting noises. Koori instantly took out Ajite. The koukaku quinque instantly ripped through the ghoul's body, and the weight of it crushed his spine. The man keeled over and landed on top of the woman and slid down. His blood-spattered on the car's exterior and stained some of the upholstery. 

They were too late, however, and the woman was mauled. Her throat was chewed on and her breasts missed chunks. Poor girl. Kaneki could see that she was young, maybe a bit older than him and that her parents would never see her again. It was a sad sight.

Koori sighed. ' At least we have our bait. Kaneki, go get the car and drive it here. We'll stake Bear out in it. Oh, and get me a burger and some coffee for both of us. We're going to be here for a long time.'

Kaneki nodded and checked his watch. 19: 27. It was dusk now, and the day was getting progressively darker.

Kaneki jogged as fast as possible, which was pretty fast considering his ghoul strength and tried to find the car. Meanwhile, Koori smiled at looking at him go.

It was a good hour before Kaneki returned. It was completely dark by now, and Koori was sitting on his quinque case. The flickering of the neon streetlamp and the buzzing of flies that surrounded the corpses gave an eerie air to the parking lot. Kaneki parked the car close to the crime scene, where they would be able to have optimal vision. Koori came to the car and shooed Kaneki out of the driver's seat. He took Kaneki's seat and the young half-ghoul had to take the passenger seat. Grumbling and mumbling (Koori swore he heard stuck-up superior prick somewhere in there), Kaneki sat down and handed Koori his Big Girl hamburger and fries. 

Kaneki took 5 instant coffee cans, 3 for him, 1 for Koori, and 1 just in case. This was gonna be a long wait.

3:49 A.M

It's been around 9 hours since the two started their staking out of the crime scene. Nothing happened in 9 hours. Nothing, niets, zilch, nada. Koori finished the burger early on, and Kaneki enviously looked on out of the corner of his eye. How he wished to be able to eat with Hide again or go to a ramen place with his boss.

But by now, there were grease stains everywhere, the seats were reclined pretty far back, but not yet horizontally. Coffee cans littered the top of the dashboard, and they put their feet on it. Kaneki was yawning periodically, with bags under his eyes and cowlicks everywhere. Koori less so, but he still looked disheveled. They talked and played the word chain game (CCG version) but that got old pretty quick. Right now, they were having a highly intellectual conversation.

'Kaneki, you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?'

' No. They don't call it a Quarter Pounder with Cheese?'

' No, they got the metric system there, they wouldn't know what the fuck a Quarter Pounder is.' Said Koori, still smoking another cigarette. He must've gone through an entire pack during their stake-out.

' So what'd they call it?'

' A royale with cheese.'

' Royale with Cheese. What'd they call a Big Girl Burger?'

' Big Girl Burger's a Big Girl Burger, but they call it Le Big Girl Burger.'

Hearing french, Kaneki immediately thought of a certain purple-haired ghoul but was too tired to care.

' Hey, Koori, you like french literature? Balzac, Hugo, Maupassant, La Fontaine, Clement Marot... any of them?'

' No, not really. My parents made me read a bit of it when I was in high school, but that's it. Don't remember much, to be honest. Arima likes reading books. A bookworm on par with you.'

' Haha. You're too kind Koori. So what do you like doing as a hobby? We talked a bit about this when we went karaoke-ing, but not that much.'

Koori looked pensive for a minute before answering. ' I like horse-back riding. Nice sport, I was even part of a club for a while. Have you ever tried it?'

In the background, a cloaked figure was moving closer to the crime scene.

' No, I never had the opportunity to. Haha.' Kaneki had a sheepish smile on and scratched the back of his head. ' Have you tried playing squash it's-'

' Kaneki look.' Koori pointed to a shadowy figure near the two bodies, with a duffel bag and one of those grandma shopping trolleys.

Kaneki instantly shot straight up and brought his legs back. He got their quinque cases from the back seats and handed Koori his.

He could only hear his heartbeat and couldn't believe his luck. They found Bear on their first try!

' When should we get out?' Kaneki tugged at Koori's CCG trench coat like a lost child.

' The second he touches the bodies, we move. You take right, I take left. We walk up and first try to confirm he's a ghoul. Remember, we need to try and take him in alive.'

Kaneki nodded in understanding.

In the meantime, the figure took out a cleaver and started to wipe it on his cloak, which upon closer inspection, seemed to be more of a rain jacket with a hood. 

The dull light of the streetlamp barely illuminated what was happening, and squinting was not a viable option in this darkness. 

The figure, presumably Bear, started dragging the ghoul's body away, which was their queue. 

The opening of the CCG's car doors alerted the ghoul, who promptly dropped the cadaver. Kaneki and Koori ran at him as fast as possible, so that he doesn't run away. Kaneki kept staying on the left and took Asaki out. He flung it horizontally so that it would corral him closer to Koori.

Instead, he jumped up and dodged it, landing on the concrete unscathed, before pushing back on his legs, leaving a crater in his wake.

His hood fell off, and Kaneki could see his mask, a black mask with white areas around the eyes and cheeks, separated by a black stripe on the nose. It had red-eye holes and a red mouth lined with fake teeth.

The ghoul, possibly Bear, took out his kagune. It was a koukaku that wrapped around his right arm. It was waxy in color and texture, with a huge hand, where 4 prominent spike-like claws were. This definitely looked like what would leave bear-like injuries on bodies. SO this was Bear... maybe not a B-rank, closer to B+ judging by his skill.

Bear still kept his cleaver in his left hand and seemed to want to wield both simultaneously.

Bear rushed at Kaneki, who was closest and swang his cleaver at him, probably in an attempt to try and scare him off. The cleaver connected and...

clang.

The cleaver snapped in half and bounced backward. Blades don't work on ghouls.

' What?'

Koori took this opportunity to try and strike at Bear, who narrowly evaded. Kaneki brought Asaki back towards him and was twirling it rapidly in the air, before bringing it back down in one fell swoop. Bear leaned back and pushed backward, but as most koukaku are, he was too slow. His left forearm was swiftly detached, leaving only a stump. In his moment of confusion, Koori capitalized and used Ajite to knock Bar out cold. The kagune disappeared in a haze of RC cells.

' Interesting Kagune, but not enough to be a worthwhile quinque. Ken, call CCG support and cleanup, as well as a detainment vehicle from Cochlea.'

Kaneki nodded and did as instructed. After doing so, he closely inspected the body of Bear, where he saw a nametag. Usu. So that was his name, apparently.

After half an hour, two CCG vehicles and one prisoner transport vehicle arrived. Some Cochlea staff members arrived in their pristine white uniforms and white medical masks, and some Bureau investigators came out of the vehicles. Bear or Usu was quickly detained and chained in quinque steel manacles. 

Surprisingly, out of one of the cars came Marude. He had that smile/angry frown marring his face, yet seemed pleased when he saw Kaneki and Koori.

' Kaneki, Koori! Look at all the work you two have accomplished. You seem fairly skilled with your toy Kaneki.'

Toy? Does he mean quinque?

Marude put his arm around Kaneki's neck and squeezed tightly. 

' You're quite the catch ya know. And you know what, I have a big thing coming up in the 11th ward. Something I need your help with.'

' W-what would that be Special Class Marude.'

Marude had a feral glint in his eyes when he heard that. Something of great genius and cruelty.

'I want you to infiltrate the Aogiri Tree for me, using your ghoul identity and skills of course.'

The smile Marude gave was sickening.

' What??'

' And for the record, that's not a question, but an order. Operation Blight is a go!!'

Kaneki had one thought: fuck me.

4039 words.

A.N I know, I like Pulp Fiction, so I had to add an easter egg. Also, I'm an idiot, Japan drives on the left side of the road. Oh well. Most importantly, thank you G99 for the concept for Bear's kagune.


	24. Chapter 24 Preparation

Kaneki was on his last off-day before the big operation. Operation Blight. Word came to him that Amon was being assigned to the 11th ward as well, albeit temporarily. They were both to meet up at Anteiku as a sort of convivial reunion. The last time they met, they were fighting Rabbit and was overjoyed as he was to see his friend, there is a time and place for everything. 

Right now, he was wearing a gray sweater over a simple white dress shirt and dark gray pants. Coupled with his brown loafers, he looked like someone's dorky dad (or big brother if you take into account his age). 

Under his arm was a box of fairly high-end Japanese pastries. He got them at a bakery and intended to give them to the older manager of the cafe, as a means to apologize for the disturbance he caused with Nishiki. His mother raised him to be polite after all. 

Walking up the steps that led to the shop, he opened the door and came in, a bell chime signaling his presence. Walking up to the bar, he took a seat at one of the stools and waited for the manager to come out. The tall black-haired woman and the man with the pompadour and bow-tie were the ones taking care of the front of the house. He's come here to sufficiently recall their faces, but not their names. 

The woman asked him what he would be ordering.

' Not right now, I'm waiting for a friend.'

' The blonde one?' She asked, with a slightly quizzical tone to her.

' No, not him. Another one. We decided to meet up for once, which is a nice change of pace. I'll order when he comes.'

The woman nodded, and because it was a slow day, decided to converse more with him. ' It's quite early, but shouldn't you be at work? Slacking off isn't good you know.'

Kaneki started shaking his hands to deny that.' No no no no, not at all. Today's my only day off for a long time. I'm very busy usually, so this is really rewarding, heh.'

Kaya nodded and knew what he meant by busy: the smell of ghoul blood and death clung to his body. It didn't reek but it was still noticeable. She knew he was from the CCG, but she tried to understand him, just like Mr. Yoshimura taught her. 

Speaking of the devil, Mr. Yoshimura walked down from the staff-only area upstairs and came into the shop. CCG boy's face instantly lit up and stood up. Yoshimura walked up to him when he noticed the boy's actions, and stood in front of him.

Kaneki took out the box of pastries and gave it to the manager.

' Here, as an apology for causing a disturbance a week ago. I'm sorry if my work unintentionally harmed your business.' Kaneki bowed a bit too much, just to make sure that his apology was known. Yoshimura smiled and accepted the olive branch, even though it was useless to ghouls.

Kaneki returned to his stool at the bar and took out his book as he was waiting. The black-haired woman was wiping a porcelain cup, attempting to get a head start on the mountain of dishes that were to be cleaned. The pleasant conversation continued, with small-talk being exchanged. It was nothing very intense until Kaya asked where he worked.

' So Mr.....'

' Kaneki.' He replied.

' Ah, okay. So Mr. Kaneki, you work for the CCG? It must be very dangerous. Are you ever scared?'

Kaneki thought about it for a second. ' At the beginning, always. But I know that my partner will back me up, so I have nothing to fear. It can still be gross at times.'

The woman nodded in understanding, though he felt like she didn't really understand.

Kaneki asked for her name and got it. Kaya. 

Just as he was about to continue to talk to Kaya, his newfound acquaintance, Amon walked in. Amon was wearing a dark padded trenchcoat. The padding had a slight geometric value to it. He had an olive shirt and a turquoise scarf. He had a box of donuts in his hand, probably from Donut Meister.

Kaneki waved excitedly and moved from the barstool to a regular table on the side, where Amon joined him. Kaneki smiled at him but Amon simply gruffly nodded. His smile instantly slid off of his face.

' Sorry if this bothers you, but I got donuts on the way here. I had a craving. One of the only things that haven't changed from childhood.'

The sight of a mini Koutarou stuffing his face with elicited a short laugh from Kaneki, to which Amon responded with a glare, but not a mean-spirited one. 

' Kaneki... I'm going to be temporarily assigned to the 11th ward. I just wanted you to know. It's been brought to my attention that you had many exploits done recently in the 4th and 11th wards. Good for you. People are starting to take notice of you, especially because you're a rank 3...'

Kaneki's face turned beet red with embarrassment at all the praise he received. It was Amon's turn to laugh, and Kaneki joined as well. How long has it been since he's been able to laugh so freely? He could always laugh with Hide, but besides him, no one.

Kaya approached the table and asked what they would be ordering. Kaneki ordered a black coffee and Amon a latte with extra sugar. Amon was so much of a sweet-tooth, it was surprising. It didn't fit his image of a battle-hardened yet heart of gold persona. 

The two continued to laugh and exchange friendly pleasantries under Yoshimura's watchful eye.

Walking upstairs, he entered the makeshift hospital rooms where Touka and Nishiki were resting. Their last fight against the very two investigators present in the dining area brought them massive and almost fatal injuries. The quantity of meat needed for them to recover was enormous, and they were still not back to full health, despite it being two weeks later. Touka was currently sitting up and playing with her hair while Nishiki was lying down, eyes closed but not asleep.

The two of them bickered a lot, but Yomo and Yoshimura scolded them back into shape. They were alive, but only by a thread. Yomo was especially worried that his niece wouldn't make it. At the very least, their astounding defeat taught them some form of humility. Touka seemed subdued and Nishiki much less arrogant. Their cockiness left their minds the same moment their stomachs were pierced through by Hinami's dad's kagune, now made into a quinque.

Nishiki was going to help Yomo from the sidelines after he recovers, in order to pay back the debt he accumulated in staying in Anteiku's care. It was either that or the 24th ward.

Speaking of that abysmal place, Kuzen's thoughts turned towards the young ghoul investigator with the eyepatch. His smell.... was frightening at the very least. He smelled like Rize, a ghoul, yet not completely. Was he a one-eyed ghoul, like his daughter, or merely another one of V's and the Garden's puppets? He would never know. His daughter was causing a stir in the 11th ward, and Kuzen might have to intervene to help her.

Back to Kaneki and Amon, they were discussing their work and the situation in the 11th ward. That very morning, Kaneki received a message saying that 12 investigators were killed by the docks, supposedly by one ghoul. The kills were violent yet clean, with not much left behind. The work of an ukaku no doubt.

There will be a large scale operation to kill off these "Aogiri" ghouls, but Kaneki was mainly worried about Operation Blight. Instead of being undercover for a day, he was going to be undercover for a week, at the very least. He could still hear Marude's briefing.

The Night Before

Marude and Bureau Director Washuu were sitting down in a meeting room, with Koori leaning on a wall. Kaneki was in front of the two men and tried to shrink himself as to disappear.

Director Washuu began.

' As you may know, Aogiri is an organization that is causing massive upheaval in the southern wards of Tokyo. Many innocent bystanders and citizens have been killed, as well as many good men from the CCG. Unfortunately, we only know so much about them, and most of the ghouls we've interrogated know nothing practical. Number 835, otherwise known as Bear, provided us with some information on the hierarchy present before Aogiri. The only useful information we've gleaned from him is that Aogiri membership is open to anyone.' The man sighed deeply as if the entire situation with Aogiri was just a thorn in their side, nothing more. ' Which is where you come in. You're naturally... predisposed to being able to infiltrate ghoul organizations and your very satisfactory results following Operation Mask have made me decide to send you out on another reconnaissance mission. Marude, your turn.'

Marude huffed and turned a bit with his spinning chair, before turning back.

' Your objectives are simple: find the Aogiri base, report back to us who their leader is. All auxiliary information on them or ghouls, in general, are welcome but remember that the above two are your priorities. The lab has provided us with this.'

Marude took out a small plastic object from his pocket and roughly put it on the table.

' A flip phone?" Kaneki deadpanned.

' Well at last you're not blind. Listen well dumbass, this phone was tailored specifically for this. Extra battery life, extra memory, you'll be needing to take pictures, it helps us, and toughened up a bit. The password is 337. Text us the info, the number has already been saved under "mom".'

Kaneki looked at Marude with a death glare. He exhaled a bit loudly but said nothing. "Mom"? Really?

' Take your mask, the phone, and we have two packages of food awaiting you. Eat one at the Chateau and keep the other with you. Just in case. We wouldn't want any accidents occurring.' 

Kaneki gulped and nodded. Getting up, taking the phone, he bowed and left the office, heading straight home.

Back to the Present

Despite knowing what he had to do, Kaneki still felt jittery. Amon pretended he didn't notice and continued talking, even though he could see his friend was worried.

They soon paid and started walking together, buying flowers on the way. Just as they discussed, they went to the CCG's Heroes Cemetary. They walked for a while, before arriving at the stone tablet that bore Kureo Mado's name. It was still new compared to the other graves around it, yet it was already starting to show signs of wear. Nature is a cruel mistress. 

Kaneki placed the bouquet in front of the tombstone, before using his hand to dust off the grime that accumulated there. Amon and he stood silent as they contemplated what remained of their mentor. Amon gave a report on his investigation of the Rabbit ghoul while Kaneki stayed silent. As they were leaving, they passed a young blond woman also carrying a bouquet. How many people have lost loved ones to ghouls?

The Next Morning.

Operation Blight was a go. Kaneki was alone in the backstreets of the 11th ward. He had his mask in his back pocket and his phone in his front one. He wore jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a black hoodie, still looking nice, but meant to look a bit iffy. Kaneki enjoyed dressing up, though, at the Restaurant, it only sickened him. It felt weird to not have Asaki in his grasp, but carrying a quinque would be too conspicuous. He even left Ifraft and Abskol, something he never does.

Stomach full, heart beating, and fear creeping in, Kaneki set off to find Aogiri members. For the CCG.

For Tokyo.

Unbeknownst to him, a little girl in bandages and a pink hoodie was watching him, giggling to herself. 

' Oh, Kishou. What did you send me?'

Her giggling was drowned by the sound of the crashing waves and the deaths of ghoul investigators. Ken Kaneki... he would be interesting, but she wouldn't tell the others what she knew. Let the CCG have their fun. She'll have hers soon enough.

2049 words

A.N Short chapter, Aogiri is next for real this time. This chapter might seem a bit rushed though.


	25. Chapter 25 Operation Blight & Aogiri

A.N Thank you guys so much for 6k reads on Wattpad and 1k reads on AO3! I've only been able to bring this fic this far thanks to you all! Longest chapter yet here.

Kaneki was aimlessly wandering around the 11th ward, searching for the vaguest hint of ghouls or Aogiri members. The salty air wafted everywhere in the ward, giving the seedier areas an absolutely rancid odor. Kaneki was going to start looking for ghouls, and as the tried and tested method of the CCG states, ghouls agglomerate in the bowels of society, where only the desperate and unfortunate humans cluster.

The sun was beating down hard on his hoodie, as the crisp December air cut him. The snow had difficulty building up near the shore, and the clear sky didn't make it feel very wintery. Kaneki continued to walk around until he decided to cross a bridge. It only took him a few minutes to realize that he was in Keihinjima Island, a massive industrial park. Gulping a bit, he continued to wander around. Prefabricated buildings, low-rise manufactures, massive brick warehouses, aluminum rooves, the island has it all. Cargo trucks were hauling lumber and raw materials into the plant, only to leave with consumer goods. It reminded Kaneki of an anthill he found near a sandbox at the playground near his home all those years ago. The ants were bustling about, each with a place in the world, and Kaneki could only watch from afar, and now, Kaneki still felt like an outsider; something entirely separate from the people that surrounded him: a one-eyed ghoul.

What a cruel hand that fate, and Dr. Kanou, dealt him. It always filled his heart with anger and pain when he thought about it, but having friends like Koori, Amon, and Hide lessened the blow. Regardless, he had to bring down Aogiri, to prove to the world that he was worthy of being in the CCG. He might even be hailed as a hero. Giggling at the thought, he continued to walk aimlessly in this concrete jungle.

Many hours later, it was nightfall and only the dim burned-out yellow-orangeish neon light emanated by the warehouses was illuminating his path. This was a far cry from the permanently floodlighted 4th ward, but he really wanted to succeed, to make Koori happy. Turning left, Kaneki went in a damp alley with a near-permanent dripping noise from an AC unit. Drawing his hoodie up, he sat on the hard concrete and leaned on a mildewy wall. He really should've thought more about his living accommodations during the operation. His attempts to sleep were interrupted by some stray cats fighting and the thick air that surrounded him; he was a block away from an incineration plant.

Sleeping in a cold impasse was not the way he imagined spending his night, but that was fine. Looking at the screen of the phone given to him by Marude, he sighed and leaned his head back. Insomnia was a bitch.

This back and forth between almost falling asleep and waking back up continued for a few more hours. Instead of fighting this losing battle, Kaneki decided to just move out and find something. 

Just as he got up, he heard something. It was a creaking noise, which wasn't odd, but it was the muffled laughter and whispering that alerted him. Looking around, Kaneki saw nothing. Left, right, down.... that only left up. Looking at the sky, he noticed a peculiar sight: 4 individuals sitting on a large street clock, graffitied to high hell, and the lamppost surrounded by edgy stickers.

The 4 individuals were oddly dressed, with three of them having neon hoodies. Kaneki could only see their backs, so he guessed that they were street artists. Curiosity piqued, he casually approached them. Stopping for a second, he reached his mask from his back pocket and put it on.

The cool leather never failed to excite him, but Kaneki decided to take it slow and remain calm. Dying by foolhardiness is a dumb way to go. The three individuals (suspects?) in their bright hoodies were very noticeable. One was in a red hoodie, the other in purple, and the third in a blue hoodie.

Lastly, there was a stout man in jeans and a white t-shirt. He was noticeably very tall and had a gray hoodie with dark gray sleeves and a yellow line going from the shoulder to the cuff of his hoodie's sleeves. Kaneki was now in front of them and saw that the three others had slight variations of a gas mask. Now, if Kaneki wasn't a ghoul investigator, he would have chalked it up to them being street artists of some sort, but masked people on rooftops were always a bad sign. There was a high chance that they were ghouls. The tall one didn't have a gas mask on, and to his horror, he saw that he was sporting a reverse の as a goatee. While it may be a bold fashion choice, we aren't in 2005 anymore. 

The quartet finally took notice of him and looked. They were taking notice of his mask in particular. After a brief silence, they beckoned him towards them.

Looking up, Kaneki had to do parkour to get up there. Using his ghoul strength, he jumped to the nearest wall and kicked off of it, trying to get on top of the street clock. It took him a couple of tries, but he managed to get on one of the steel bars protruding from the structure, where a city would normally hang baskets of flowers and the like.

Panting, he tentatively looked up at them from his single eye-hole. The group was somewhat wary of him, but not overly aggressive. The one in blue motioned for him to speak up. To his great surprise, it turns out that the individual in blue was a girl. Nodding in understanding and catching his breath, Kaneki unzipped the zipper from his mask so that they could hear him clearly.

' H-hello. I'm Haise Sasaki. I'm new here.' He gave them a sheepish grin and waved at them. Smooth.

The man with the god-awful beard answered. ' Show us your eyes.'

Kaneki was taken aback by that. Show his kakugan? How was he supposed to do that? It only activated when he was hungry or angry and had no control over it.

' Ummm I can't really flip my kakugan on and off. It's more of an instinct thing.'

Grunting, the stout man refused the excuse. Kaneki sighed and tried to make himself salivate. He remembered a time when Hide lent him a certain type of magazine. As loathe as he was to admit it at the time, the scantily dressed women did affect Kaneki, even with his low sex drive. Back then, he wanted to eat them, and now he does, albeit in a different way. Thinking about the girls, their curves, and their luscious lips, and being able to tear it all away from them was starting to make him drool a bit, much to his disappointment in himself. Squinting hard, after he opened his eyes, the quartet nodded as a way to say that he was accepted. Touching the veins that appeared whenever his kakugan activated was odd. He slowly felt them receding, and he was sure the black from his eyes was as well.

The purple man introduced the group to him. ' Hello, Haise. I'm Sante, the person in red is Ichimi and the girl in blue is Jiro. The three of us are siblings. The big sulking man over there is Banjo. Pleased to meet you.' Sante had a very cheerful and playful disposition, one that was evidently shared with his siblings.

Ichimi was curious at the arrival of the black-haired youth with the gimp-like mask. ' So Haise. What ward are you from? I've never seen you around these parts.' It seemed that the trio was really interested in the happenings outside of the 11th ward.

' Well, I'm from the 4th ward, said Kaneki with a fake smile plastered on his face, I came here because you guys are fighting back the doves and stuff. '

' Woah... you're from the 4th ward? I heard that the place is inhabitable. The doves and whatnot.' Replied a startled Sante.

The group jumped down from their unconventional perch and started to walk on the ground. Banjo was trailing Kaneki until he grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him onto a wall, completely taking ken by surprise. The three siblings were shouting and confused, and Kaneki was legitimately frightened. Then Banjo started screaming at Kaneki, redfaced and ready to fight.

' Why do you smell like Rize? A--are... are you her b-boyfriend?' The last part was so meek and the look of utter defeat in his eyes was extremely confusing.

' Uhhh, we kinda know each other?' How does this random guy I met know her? Kaneki was deeply befuddled.

' RAAAH!! So you are her boyfriend. I'll kill you, you bastard!' Banjo, who still pinned Kaneki to a wall, immediately reared up to punch him. It was sloppy and slow, so Kaneki ducked, pushed Banjo's arm away from his face with the palm of his hand, and elbowed the man right in the nose. It was instantly busted and he fell back. Unfortunately, Banjo fell backward on a random metal bicycle rack, hitting his head on it.

When Kaneki approached the man, he was out cold. The trio of kinfolk were all sighing in embarrassment.

' Sorry you had to see that. Banjo may be our leader, but he's pretty weak. He gets sensitive when it comes to Rize. Let's carry him to our meeting room. It's in an abandoned building. It used to be a tannery, so it smells pretty bad.' said Jiro as she hauled Banjo on her back. Ichimi and Sante grabbed him by the arms and took them to a tannery. 

The hangout spot was very homey, but the smell permeating the residence was nauseating, even more, when you're a ghoul.

They laid out Banjo on a bed and Kaneki took out a box of tissues to stop the bleeding from his nose. Coffee cans littered the floor, and he was pretty sure he saw Jiro playing with a mouse.

' So Ichimi, why did he get so angry? I didn't do anything. And sorry about...' Kaneki said as he was generally waving around Banjo.

' Well, I think that he was in love with her. Rize lived in the 11th for around half a year. He really admired her and her strength. She killed the ward leaders and bolted. To the 20th ward, I think. But right after she left, the ward went to high hell. First, there was a power vacuum, followed by the invasion of Aogiri. Almost everyone in this ward is either a member or pays tribute to Aogiri. The tree has its root deep in this ward. Even we are members of Aogiri.' 

' Really? I uh I was wondering about Aogiri. Do you think I could join?'

Ichimi sighed but nodded. ' Sure. It's harsh, and you'll have to do a lot of grunt work, but it is what it is. If you're desperate enough to join Aogiri, the 4th ward must be awful. Now go to bed, we have a spare mattress somewhere.'

Kaneki nodded and followed Ichimi, who pulled out a spare mattress from the brittlest closet he had ever seen. It was stained and gross, but he would make do. Kaneki found himself to like the rag-tag group of ghouls, but he had to remind himself that beneath the surface, they were bloodthirsty monsters. As Jiro turned off the light, Kaneki took out his phone under the guise of checking the time. Plugging in the password 337 and scrolling to find mom in his contacts, he finally found it. He typed in a simple message:

Contact with Aogiri ghouls made. I will go to one of Aogiri's bases tomorrow. Kaneki out.

Turning over and putting the phone back into his pocket, Kaneki finally drifted off to sleep.

CCG 1st Ward Office.

At the moment, Mabuchi was sitting in front of his screen, lightly drooling. Marude gave him the graveyard shift, probably as some sort of cruel joke. There was little to do, as Division 2 was mostly active during the afternoon, where reports from ghoul cases came one after another, or when large attacks and operations took place. He was staring dumbly at his screen and waited for any action. Just as he was about to start up his favorite game, a message came up on the CCG's report line.

Scrolling around, he finally saw where the new entry came from: Ken Kaneki. Leaning back into his uncomfortable office chair, the plastic bending a bit but not enough, and sighed. Using the cuff of his sleeve to wipe the drool off of his face, he started transcribing the new information onto a separate doc. 

And he thought he could get a peaceful night.

11th Ward, Morning.

Kaneki woke up on a dirty and crusty mattress, with sunlight shining into the room via a skylight, with some blue plastic paper put on it as some sort of makeshift blinds. Getting up with a stretch, Kaneki saw that the others were already up. Most importantly, Banjo was up and doing pushups on the floor. Kaneki approached the man and sat on a stool beside him. Banjo stopped what he was doing and turned towards Kaneki. Out of nowhere, the massive man got to his knees and bowed down before Kaneki. He belted out a loud " I apologize for my actions!"

As Kaneki was about to say something, Banjo cut him off. ' I'm sorry I lost it. Your scent is different than hers and I was wrong, and in a softer tone he said, you're pretty strong Haise.'

Kaneki blushed and laughed. ' I'm really not that strong. And apology accepted. In any case, Rize and I were acquaintances. I met her once.'

' R-really? Do you know where she is?' Banjo's face darkened with despair. He had to know what happened to Rize. Kaneki thought about it and knew that she was probably with Kanou. But seeing Banjo's anguished face, he decided to lie. Gritting his teeth and touching his chin, Kaneki said that Rize had run off to somewhere else. Banjo was crestfallen, yet happy to know that she was safe.

' Aww, Banjo still hasn't found his crush. Cheer up, you'll get her eventually!' Teased Jiro. Kaneki laughed with them, and he was surprised that he did so. Weren't they ghouls? Weren't they different? Kaneki was so confused, but he let the matter go. Right now he decided to follow the group to the Aogiri base.

It was a fairly quick walk to the Aogiri base. It was a decrepit set of buildings nestled between the ocean and a thick forest. There were 8 massive buildings, and all looked more destroyed than the other. Concrete truly made miracles happen. The thing that astounded Kaneki the most was the amount of misery that surrounded him. Men, women, and children in the dark red, almost maroon, Aogiri coats sat huddled outside in the cold. Some were carrying sticks and others dragged human corpses on the ground. It sickened Kaneki to the core, but he dealt with it. Apparently, new members flocked constantly, so there were no checks on who was who. The only criteria to be accepted was by proving yourself to be useful.

Just as Kaneki was leaving the courtyard, he sneaked in 2 pictures. One of all the ghouls huddles together and another of the entire complex as a whole. He sneakily sent those images back to the 1st ward, where they would be received. As soon as he could, he texted the address and sped up to not be left behind by the group.

1st Ward

Itsuki Marude was currently looking over the message he got from Kaneki. After a brief moment of celebration, he immediately contacted Shinohara, Kuroiwa, and Yoshitoki. This was a big find. A huge one in fact. They finally obtained a confirmed location for Aogiri. If that half-ghoul boy was here, he'd've slapped him on the back. Koori did a fine job training him. Marude could already see that the half breed would go a long way, and promotion was bound to happen. And if all went well with the Aogiri Operation, he would get promoted as well.

Marude was practically skipping through the halls of the CCG's main office like an overexcited schoolgirl. As he opened the glazed glass door to enter the conference room, he stopped in front to readjust his tie and flatten his hair. Looking good Itsuki, looking good.

With a huge grin plastered on his face, Marude opened the door to the conference room, prepared to deliver the good news to the special investigators.

But when he came in, he instantly deflated and looked defeated. Shinohara's partner (Juuzou was it?) was squatting on a chair and eating some sweets, sending crumbs flying everywhere. He was using crayons to draw rather graphic images of violence and scribbled on the massive oval table. Papers were strewn about, and was that a stolen wallet on the floor? He could barely believe that this boy (boy?) was almost 19, and not 6.

Yukinori Shinohara, a middle-aged, bulky man with a large nose and a wide chin, coupled with short black hair and a goatee, and Juuzou's partner was sighing and covering his face. It seemed his attempts to reign in Suzuya's childish tendencies had failed. On the other hand, Yoshitoki was watching the scene play out with an amused look in his eye, even indulgent. Perhaps his son Matsuri was tumultuous in his younger years, and Yoshitoki had a wave of nostalgia, though Marude doubted a dry and apathetic man like Matsuri was ever this childish. Finally, there was Iwao Kuroiwa, a large stocky man with a square face, thick eyebrows, and round eyes. He looked like some sort of human-bug hybrid but was not to be underestimated.

Clearing his voice, Marude started going on about the happenings of the 11th ward. Juuzou, being the man-child he is, didn't even bother listening and started doing who knows what. But Marude paid him no mind. He was keen to get to the juicy part of the report.

' And finally, thanks to the diligent work of one of our investigators, we have found the location of what we believe to be Aogiri's main base in the 11th ward.' He shared a look with Yoshitoki, as they both knew who the investigator was without naming him. ' We have yet to receive more intel on the situation, but it appears that this will be tricky. Running the address of the supposed base by satellite and GIS, we can see that the base is flanked by an ocean in the back and a dense thicket that stretches a mile long. There are multiple different buildings in the compound and many variables to be accounted for. Bureau Director Washuu, what should we do?' 

In reality, Itsuki knew very well what they should be done, but he still had to run it through the upper brass. Damned bureaucracy. Yoshitoki had a ruminative look about him. ' How long until the operation may begin?' He asked, tapping an expensive black pen onto a sheet of paper.

Marude mused a little. ' A rough guess from me would say around a month. We need to re-establish a semblance of control in the 11th ward, gain more intel, and organize a team. For the last part, I have already begun speculating who will be on the team, which is why I took the liberty of inviting the 2 other special class investigators here: I would like them to be the commanders during the upcoming battle.

Kuroiwa, in his usual laconic way of speaking, put his two cents worth in. ' I believe it is safe to assume that all those assigned in the 11th ward, in addition to me and Yukinori and our respective squads and partners, will be participating, correct?'

' Essentially yes, however, Assistant Special Class Koori will not be participating. He has been transferred from the 11th ward to a temporary station in the 24th ward as per Special Class Arima's request.' Answered Yoshitoki.

Shinohara decided to speak up. ' We would also have to evacuate en masse the entire, or at least the majority, of the 11th ward. We'll be needing a major PR team for this.' Marude nodded in agreement. ' Let me deal with the media. I got my speech ready and everything. In any case, we can only wait for your orders Bureau Director.'

Yoshitoki was immediately very serious. He clasped his hand together and began thinking. Thinking long and hard. Eventually, he lifted his head and looked at Marude.

' I agree with everything save for two things: one, our two commanders will be Kuroiwa and you, Marude. Second of all, I will not partake in this operation. You have free reign Marude. Coordinate everything, you have access to all the resources possible. Good luck.' He swiftly got up and gracefully walked out of the room. As he was passing through the hallways, he looked out into the vast sea of buildings and lights that was Tokyo. 

Perhaps this would be the final blow to the one-eyed King, the one who has disobeyed and fought back against V and the Washuus for so long. It was a possibility, but Yoshitoki doubted it. Especially if Arima wasn't on the team. But the investigators would make for good cannon fodder and meals. It will probably push Marude to excel, the only human which Yoshitoki had a soft spot for, despite all his pitiful human weaknesses. Even before, when he was merely "Chika", he thought of Marude as his friend. The operation will also make some other investigators grow, Juuzou, Amon and Kaneki were the ones that came to mind. What wonders the three of them will accomplish together in the future. Yoshitoki was sure of that. Especially since Ken Kaneki is the one that shall be greater than Kishou Arima...

Chortling a bit to himself, he continued to go on about his way. He might even have to call his wayward son back to Japan from Germany if this Aogiri business gets too out of hand.

Back to Kaneki, 11th ward

Kaneki was given an Aogiri coat but not a mask, as he already possessed one. The cloak was somewhat billowy but apparently was ideal for Kagune use. Because he was a low-ranking member of Aogiri, he was given grunt work, as was the case for Banjo, Ichimi, Sante, and Jiro. Speaking of which, Kaneki really warmed up to them as of late. They even went through the trouble of explaining the ins and outs of Aogiri for him, something that he'll be transcribing back to HQ.

At the moment, Banjo was explaining the hierarchy within the Tree.

' So after all the foot soldiers in Aogiri, you have the executives. They take care of most of the day to day operations here. They have their own men and are quite strong. They are Ayato, the Bin Brothers, and Jason. Ayato is from the 20th or 14th ward, I'm not too sure. We are his direct subordinates. He's a teen with a violent temper and a crude way of speaking. The Bin brothers are siblings who are extremely loyal to the leader of Aogiri. Most of the skilled men here are originally theirs. I don't exactly know which ward they came from. And lastly, there's Jason. Or Yamori. It depends. In any case, he's a sick sadistic fuck from the 13th ward that enjoys killing and "playing with his toys", whatever that means. And he trails around with his bottom bitch Nico, but he's surprisingly nice. Any questions Haise?'

Kaneki heard a lot about Jason and the Bin brothers, but not much about Ayato, who was supposedly his new boss. He tried to remember as much of the info as possible in order to pass it on to the CCG. Right now he was absorbing everything like a sponge. Who knew all those years of reading between the lines in his books would pay off now?

Now Sante took over for Banjo. ' After the executives, we have Aogiri's leader's direct subordinates, Tatara and Noro. Both are freakier than the other. I think Tatara is Chinese. His hair is all white, it's freaky. And then there's Noro. Not much to say about him, to be honest. Doesn't talk and doesn't move. But both of them are ridiculously powerful, or so I've heard. Then there's Eto, some little girl. She trails behind Tatara constantly. Never really known what she does. Not en executive, yet not a subordinate. She's just there I guess.'

And then Jiro chimed in. ' Now we have the big baddy, the supreme overlord of Aogiri: the One-Eyed King. He is rumored to be as strong as Arima, though no one saves for his direct subordinates and Eto has met him.'

' Did you just say one-eyed?' 

' Yeah, Haise. Intrigued? Cuz' I sure am!'

Kaneki nodded. This was extremely important. The second he had the opportunity, he would be sending the information to Marude and co. And speaking of which, he was wondering how Koori was doing. 

The group was walking up the stairs into a building and walked into what seemed to be an old kitchen. Many ghouls were at their stations cutting up...

Oh no. Oh God no.

A ghoul in an Aogiri mask and biker glasses walked up to them. ' You 11th ward trash, you're late. Go to your stations and get to work Squad 1 is hungry and we can't be moping about. Get a knife and cut the flesh.'

Kaneki walked to a station, one that was next to Banjo's, and looked at the corpse in front of him. Its (his?) limbs were cleanly cut off and Kaneki had to cut it into smaller pieces.

Why me? I can't do this. This is too revolting. I-

' Haise. If you can't do it, give half to me. I'm good at this, so I don't mind. Give it when the guy in biking glasses isn't watching.' Said Banjo.

Kaneki was immensely grateful for Banjo's offer but refused. As gross and inhumane as it was, he had to pull his own weight. However, when the guard wasn't watching, he managed to take a picture of the "kitchen". He decided to send it to the CCG.

Ken was in a sort of drunken haze. This wasn't his first time seeing a body, nor a human body, but this was... too much. His head was swirling and Kaneki was overcome by nausea. But he couldn't keep relying on Banjo.

He had to pretend that this was a pig. Just a pig.

After a couple of hours, it was all over. Kaneki walked to where Banjo and his crew's quarters were. It was a small and cramped place, but it was fine. There were some other people here too. Kei and her young son Kouto, Moku, and Tetsu.

They exchanged pleasantries and that was fine, but the second he had the opportunity, he sent HQ a message.

Executives: Jason, Bin Brothers & Ayato. Subordinates Tatara (suspected Chinese ghoul) & Noro. Unknown superior: Eto. Associate: Nico. Leader of Aogiri tree, One-Eyed King. Pictures are attached.

Kaneki clicked sent and waited. A moment later, he received a message from "Mom".

Understood. Thank you for the work. Leave Aogiri as soon as possible. All required intel has been gathered. Destroy this phone immediately.

Kaneki sighed. This phone was his lifeline. He couldn't simply destroy it. But he had to. Using his ghoul strength, he crushed the phone in the palm of his hand and scattered the bits of plastic and electronics about.

Kaneki regretted coming to Aogiri. He had to find a way to leave. And he might have the best shot at it here. Shuffling besides Banjo, he whispered in his ear.

' Do you wanna leave this hellhole?'

Banjo nodded.

' What should we do then, leader?'

Banjo smirked to himself and got up. Gesturing at Kaneki to follow him, he did as he was told. They went to an empty stairwell to talk.

Banjo started. ' We only have a small window to escape. It'll be impossible for us to escape with the executives and subordinates here. Fortunately, Tatara is rarely here and the other executives leave from tie to time. Noro and Ayato leave every 6 days to meet with other leaders of Aogiri. Yamori leaves every 4 days to go into town, I think he goes clubbing. Unfortunately, the Bin brothers never leave this place.'

Kaneki understood. ' So on the 12th day, there are only the Bin brothers are here, correct?'

' Exactly. And that 12th day is in a week from now. Only then will we be able to have the highest chances of escaping as a group. So Haise. Are you in?'

Kaneki smiled. ' Of course, I am.'

Somewhere else, a smiling clown heard everything.

And so began the week of hell for Kaneki. It was degrading and sickening, the work he had to do for Aogiri, but he had to do it. And over the course of that week, he truly warmed up to the rest of the group, Banjo in particular. Their band of misfits was one of the few highlights of his stay here.

He waited for the week to be over, to be able to see his friends again, but he couldn't. He needed to keep hope.

And so, after what felt like a year, the day of reckoning arrived.

Today was the day of the escape.

Everyone was cloaked and moved extremely quickly, even Koto with his little legs. Kaneki had his mask on, so he would be safe. The others, however, were not so stealthy. They started talking about their hopes and dreams and didn't even bother to whisper.

They were running in the forest until they, unfortunately, got found by a withered old man.

He immediately started wailing, like a siren. Fortunately, Ichimi and Jiro immediately silenced him, but the damage was done. One of the Bin brothers were coming his way.

They started running even faster until Kei tripped. The Bin brother immediately took advantage of the situation and unleashed his kagune, a neon blue bikaku that had a large width but was very thin. It looked almost like a machete. In the middle of it, there was a hole of sorts.

Kouto immediately stood up to protect his mother, but it was Banjo who took the hit. He yelled at them to go, but Kaneki couldn't.

Among all the things going on in his mind, like how he was helping save a ghoul, a friend, his body just moved on its own. Unleashing his claw/tentacle-like kagune, he shielded what would've been the final blow on Banjo.

' Banjo. We're leaving together.'

' H-haise... you dumbass.'

Kaneki dodged as well as he could the barrage of attacks from the Bin brother, the one with a cubic P on his mask. Bikakus excelled at short to mid-range, so he should be fine if he kept his distance, which he did fairly well.

Using his ghoul strength, he lifted a nearby street-lamp and bashed it against his opponents' nose, but it only managed to break his mask. As Kaneki was about to kill the man with his rinkaku, the brother gave him the finger.

He forgot about the second sibling.

Jumping back as far as he could, Ken narrowly missed a deadly blow from the new arrival's kagune. Just as he was about to rush in for another round, two men came to the scene.

Jason and Nico.

Jason had bleached blonde hair with a dark navy polo shirt on. What made him terrifying was the severed and decapitated heads he held by the hair. Tetsu and Moku.

Yamori started talking.

' My friend Nico here heard you talking about leaving. Now we can't have that. You should be punished. But I am merciful, for I respect one thing and one thing only: power. And it seems our friend in the gimp mask has that. I'm always on the look-out for good men. So I'll cut you a deal. If Kaneki serves me, I'll let the rest of you lot go.'

Kaneki wasn't born yesterday and knew that that was a lie, which he told Jason.

' Now now, Haise-chan, I would never tell such boring lies. I always keep my word. Right, Nico?'

The Bin brothers were outraged.

' Yamori? How could you? Are you not loyal to our King? The one that shall free ghouls around Japan, around the world?'

' Shut up. A...as long as I can have fun, I don't care. So let me ask you a question, Bin Brothers, which one of you wants to fucking die first? Huh? Who? Who? Tell me! I'll fucking slaughter you like a pig so squeal.' Yamori was shouting by now, cracking his fingers as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

The man in a pink shirt came next to Yamori and put his hand on his shoulder. ' Now, now big guys. Let's be calm and adults about this. What's the point of having men who aren't loyal to Aogiri? And they're Ayato's guys. Who cares?' His fake singsong voice was deeply unnerving.

The Bin Brothers turned and left. ' Fine, do whatever you want.'

Then Jason turned towards Kaneki. He was expecting an answer.

' F-fine. I'll go.'

Jason leered at Kaneki as he placed his hand on his back. ' Great, follow me, I'll show you the way.' Turning a bit, he whispered in Nico's ear. ' Put them in a cell. I might have a use for them later on.'

'Oooh Yakumo, baby, you liar.'

1st Ward Office

Koori was heavily smoking. He sat on a radiator, but his mind was wandering off. The contents of the letter he was holding were too unnerving for him. Just looking at it made his heart wrench.

3rd rank Investigator Ken Kaneki, M.I.A.

He scrunched the paper and threw it out the window. 

5706 words

A.N, sorry for the wait! The next 2 chapters will be released on the same day. The reason for this is because chapter 26 will be the torture chapter, and some squeamish readers won't want to read that, so they could just skip it. There'll be a brief recap for them at the beginning of chapter 27. Normally this chapter (number 25) should've been longer, but I couldn't bring myself to. Sorry.


	26. Chapter 26 Torture

Warning: This will be a short chapter that includes graphic topics. Please ignore if you are susceptible to this.

Pain and Fear.

Those were the only two things that Kaneki felt. It was like those were the only two things he'd ever known.

Yamori had tricked him.

He told him that he would be one of his men. Instead, he forcibly inserted RC cell suppressants into his mucosa, the only weak spot a ghoul possessed. The liquid burned and irritated his eye. It was simply excruciating.

He was cuffed to an uncomfortable wooden chair, hands behind his back and Achilles tendons cut so he wouldn't be able to run.

And then it began. Yamori cut his fingers and toes with pliers, over and over again. Yamori told him to count down from 1000 by 7s. At first, Kaneki didn't understand why, but then he realized that it was to keep him as sane and focused as possible. The numbers became a sort of haven for him; a place where he could escape, only to be brought back t reality by the pain.

After losing all of his digits, Yamori would feed him food, human flesh, and would leave for a few hours before returning. It was when he was eating his own kind, human beings, that he realized how monstrous he had truly become.

And then Yamori would come back, repeating the process. Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Whenever Yamori would get too excited, Nico would come and be used as a living punching bag; to sate Yamori's sadism. I could only wonder, when would that be me?

Being tortured for no reason at all made me feel an enormous amount of despair.

One day, I don't know how long it had been since I arrived in this grotesque "playroom", Yamori approached me. He started monologuing on his personal discovery of how he enjoyed inflicting pain and suffering.

' Back then, when the clowns were in power, I was sent to Cochlea. In part because of that bitch Minami, who put me on the doves' radar, and in part because of the clown's power. They needed all the info they could get, and I knew the ins-and-outs of the 13th ward. But I digress. There was this investigator... Tokage was his name. He was fuckin' insane. " Every disadvantage in the world stems from one's weakness" was what he said. It was his motto, his mantra. You're a smart guy Haise, so his ethos, if you will. " The weak were trampled upon. They were infringed, afflicted, violated, abused. " That was his belief. And when you live a life where torture is the norm, you seek to escape. You become desperate. I began not thinking of myself as Yamori the ghoul, but as Tokage, the torturer. Sooner or later, I couldn't know who was receiving and who was inflicting the pain. I had a sense of oneness and familiarity with him. And one day...' Yakumo shuddered, with a fire in his eyes, the only onset by the red veins that were appearing. ' One day, our roles switched in reality. I had my revenge, and I felt.. human. The joy that I felt at that moment, the euphoric sensation of sheer, unadulterated power... what a rush. The techniques you are being subject to, the injection, all of that, I learned it at Cochlea. Now I wanna find some new toys or techniques. And you, Haise, are a prized gem. A one-eyed ghoul? You're special.'

The man was walking behind Kaneki and suddenly grasped his shoulder, firmly. Giving a hard pat, one that faked geniality, Jason put on his hockey mask.

' Haise-chan. Don't think I don't know who you are. Who you truly are. Eto filled me in. She told me everything about Kano and Rize. You wondering where they are? After they ran away? Well, Haise-chan, or Ken-kun if you prefer, did you know? There are more of you. More of you one-eyed ghouls.' Yamori skewed his mask a bit, just to lick Kaneki's face. ' More toys for me.'

Jason took a deep breath and took out something from his pocket. I couldn't see it, but eventually, the foreign object fell into view. It was a bug.

' The Chinese red-headed centipede. Do you know of it? The largest centipede of Japan.' The sadist walked to Kaneki and whispered in his ear, his hot plumes of breath tickling the skin and hair. ' I'm gonna put this bad boy in your ear. Ok?'

Using his finger, Jason pushed the centipede into my ear. It started clawing at the inside, scraping the flesh, and making that horrendous sound.

' P-p-please stoop. I'm... I'm begging you. It it...'

Jason took out a piece of ducktape and covered my eyes and ears. Total darkness and sensory deprivation. All I could feel was pain, all I could hear were the incessant scratches made by the critter, and all I could see was my own demise.

In my darkest hour, I could only do two things. Laugh and cry. Hot tears spilled onto my face, dampening the tape as I hysterically laughed.

The sick laughter faded away as my despair grew. I thought of Hide, of Amon, of Koori. Even Banjou came to mind. Everyone... I-I hope you're safe. I wanna be somebody who knows pain instead of someone who hurts others. Mom. Mommy. Are you proud of me?

Mo-

' What are you doing? That's kinda boring.' A voice came to me. It was sultry, yet deeply unnerving. The voice of a succubus or a vixen. A ghastly siren came into view, her dark purple locks grazing and tickling my forehead. Her glasses reflected my tear-stricken face. The tape was gone.

' R-Rize? Is that you?'

Her soft and gentle hand cupped my cheek.

' Don't you ever think "fuck it", Kaneki?'

' Rize...'

' Awww Kaneki. Your hair's all gray. And what's with that philosophy? "Somebody who knows pain instead of one who hurts others". Did your momma teach you that? You look like a momma's boy.'

I deeply inhaled and looked at my surrounding. Everything was warping until we were in front of a table, where my Mother was cutting flowers.

' Is that your mom?' Asked Rize, to which I nodded. ' Wanna tell me more about it?'

I nodded. ' My mom was really hardworking. She had 3 jobs, yet always found the time to teach me kanji and to cook me food. She was always happy. Truly admirable. She was a good cook as well.'

' Hmm. Is that so? But if she was so admirable, what's up with the cash on the table?'

I didn't notice that it even happened. The scene changed ever so slightly. Suddenly my Aunt was at the door, begging my mom for money.

' It's remittance for my Aunt. Her older sister always needed money. Even more so when her husband lost her job. And-and then...'

' And then?'

The world around me grew dark, and suddenly there was a 9-year-old me, in a black suit, crying over a casket.

' It was overwork. She died. My aunt took me in but rejected me because I was smarter than her own son. Only Hide was there for me.'

' Aww, poor baby', Rize crooned,' It must've been so hard for you. But you may lose your dear buddy. Because of you and your weakness?'

' What?'

' You'll see, the master and his gay acolyte are back.'

Rize vanished, and I felt a strong ripping sensation from my head. The tape was off, and I could see the real world again, as well as my tormentor accompanied by Nico.

' Haise... I've noticed that you're quite tough. Probably because you're one-eyed. But not only that, you have remarkable mental fortitude. So I wanted to try something new. How about this?'

No. Nononononononononono. Kei and Kouto were in front of me, stuck between Yamori's massive biceps.

' How about a mother and child, KA-NE-KI-KUN?' He said in a sing-song voice.

' Which one should I kill? Choose.

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

' I-I thought you let them go! You-you lying piece of shit.'

Jason just smiled and leered down at me.

' I told you, I don't tell boring lies. And there's nothing boring about this!'

He screamed as he threw his head back in a massive wave of pleasure.

' Why? Why did I give myself up for nothing?'

' To be honest with you, I almost pissed myself laughing in hindsight. How dumb.'

Yamori licked his lips. ' Well... Which one? You get to choose.'

' I-I can't choose. It's too immoral.'

' Hmm. Let's put it another way shall we?' He crept up to my ear and whispered ever so softly. 'Which one do you want to choose?'

As Kaneki looked up, he saw Kei mouth "Koto" to him. The answer was easy, right? But... but if I chose one, it'd be like I was killing them myself.

Yamori, noticing my dilemma, said ' You're a dove right? You killed ghouls before. So what's stopping you now? Are they your friends?'

' I.'

' Hmmm?'

' I can't choose.'

This was the wrong decision. Jason was infuriated. He grabbed me by the collar and started shaking me, violently.

' Choose, choose, choose, choose, choose, choose, choose, choose who damn it!'

' If you wanna kill somebody, kill me! Please, I'm begging you! Just do it.'

' Fine then. Watch closely.' Turning back, he stomped towards the mother and child. He grabbed the mother and told Koto to watch.

Nico, who was usually flamboyant, seemed much calmer here.

' Yamori, darling, that's in poor taste. Look, honey, I love how you're sick and awful, but now you're too awful. There's a proper way of killing sweetie. And this is not one of them. Killing the boy's mom in front of him is too depraved.'

Silence. A dead silence rang out.

And instead, Yamori grabbed the child.

Yamori was screaming so loudly, so many profanities spewing out of his mouth as he choked the boy, and finally breaking his neck with pure force, that Kaneki could only register the cacophony as silence. Jason let go of Koto and he dropped on the floor like a brick, lifeless.

As Kei rushed to her son, Yamori speared her with his kagune, instantly killing her. And I couldn't help but feel the blood of both of them was on my hands.

As Yamori walked out, he didn't even look back at me as he said ' It's your fault, you hypocrite.'

Nico walked to the dead mother and child and used the fine tendrils of his kagune to gently place them together, in a heart shape.

' Go beautifully.'

If only I could as well.

Hours passed, and I was alone until I heard Rize's voice again.

' No one is coming to help you, Ken. You're all alone.'

' I know.'

' It's just you here, I'm just a hallucination.'

' I know.'

' And whose fault is this, hmm? Whose fault is this that you're in such a predicament? All this misfortune. Kaneki, understand this: there's no such thing as luck. It's simply a combination of two situations. And you create them. "Every disadvantage in the world stems from one's weakness." Don't you agree? Lied to by me and Kanou, turned into an abomination. You did it yourself.'

I remained silent as Rize continued.

' "be somebody who knows pain instead of someone who hurts others". And where has that brought you? If you killed Yamori, you would still be alive.'

' Sh-shut up..'

' Same goes with your mother, if she told her sister to fuck off, she would still be alive.'

' Sh-shut up.'

' If she really loved you, don't you think she would have continued living for you?'

' I said shut up!'

' Poor baby, you know I'm right.'

' Mom! Mom! Why?!? Why did you leave me? Why didn't you choose me? I was so lonely... Mom! Why didn't you live for me?'

Rize grabbed me by behind, pushing her breasts on my back, and gently played with my hair. ' Even if it meant turning her back on her sister?'

' That's right!'

' Good boy. There are times when you need to let go of something to protect another. Your mother couldn't do that. That's not kindness. That's being weak. She simply lacked the resolve. Can you still be someone who knows pain? Can you forgive Yamori?'

' N-no, I'll never fucking forgive him. Yamori, who has no respect for life, human or ghoul, and Aogiri... I can't forgive them. I never will.'

Rize stood in front of me now. My tears were drying, and I could finally see clearly, literally, and metaphorically. Rize was right.

' And if Aogiri becomes stronger, they'll come for the CCG. They'll kill Amon, Koori, Marude, and Nakajima, just like how Rabbit did with Mado.'

' I won't let that happen. I won't let Aogiri do that. I'll kill them all. I'll burn the tree down.'

' Bold words coming from an Investigator. And what about Banjou and his merry men? They're ghouls, aren't they? What will you do?'

' I'll protect them. Ghouls and humans, they're the same. Kei and Koto made me realize that. But...'

' But?'

' But if any ghoul comes in my way from annihilating Aogiri, I'll kill them.'

Rize laughed. ' And you can't even use your kagune. You rely on that weak spine you call Asaki. How pathetic.'

' I'll learn to control my power. To get rid of everyone and everything that gets in the way of my peace of mind.'

I turned to Rize, and lunged, biting her in her shoulder. I didn't even think about her or her feelings- I just wanted to feed, to consume. To devour her whole. I ripped her soft flesh off, as I noticed that the world around me left the checkered room to a sea of white spider lilies, slowly becoming red from the blood, unraveling themselves.

' I'll surpass you. Accept the ghoul in me? No...'

' Go on Kaneki. To live is to feed on others. So eat up. Make me proud.'

' I-I am a ghoul.

3rd person POV

Kaneki was sitting n his chair, his throne, as Yamori slowly walked up to him.

' Your CCG buddies have finally arrived. I have to fight them. I'll call you by your real name in these final moments. Ken... do you believe in rumors? In superstition? Well, long ago, I heard that cannibalism strengthens a ghoul's blood. We ghouls taste rancid. Not many of us do cannibalize but... I did. I felt that my kagune was getting brisker and brisker. I was untouchable. You see, Ken, I believe in this superstition. I believe that we ghouls are meant to take from each other, the different types of kagune is proof of that. So Ken,' Yamori got close and whispered in a shaky, yet determined breath,' let me devour you. You will complete me. You will-'

Kaneki jumped a bit and bit off a piece of Yamori's cheek.

' What?'

' You're right, we do taste awful. Like rotting fish guts.'

' You, you bastard!'

Kaneki jumped up and used his chains to try and strangle Jason.

' You tried eating me. So it's only fair that I eat you, isn't it?'

Jason moved at super speeds, instantly coming in front of Kaneki, and grabbed him by the throat. ' You son of a bitch, only the strong feed. That's me! I feed on the weak like you!'

Kaneki attempted a roundhouse kick, which Yamori easily grabbed. He wasn't expecting Kaneki to break his own leg though. The skin broke and looked like fleshy rope.

' I don't care if my leg breaks. You think it would hurt me now?'

Kaneki used his other leg to knee Yamori in the cheekbone, shattering it. As he jumped back, Kaneki saw flesh erupting from Yamori's back and covered his face, back, and right arm, in a muscle armor.

' You're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead. I'm going to fucking kill you!' As Yamori cracked his finger, Kaneki just flipped him off.

The reddish-purple kagune armor surrounded Almost all of Jason's vital areas, save for his chest. He slammed his meaty appendage on the floor creating a small crater. Pushing back with his hind legs, like a rabid animal, Jason rushed Kaneki, who just dodged. The appendage that covered his right arm extended in order to reach Kaneki, to no avail. 

Jason irrationally slammed the appendage on the floor, like if he was swatting an elusive fly. Kaneki was in front of him when he made a massive right hook. Kaneki ducked and punched Jason right in the solar plexus. The force of Kaneki's punch made the dust shift and temporarily stunned Jason, keyword temporarily. He smiled, and with strings of saliva dripping from his jaw, used a tendril from his meaty appendage to spear Ken in the shoulder, before wrapping all of the tendrils into a ball, with Kaneki inside of it.

Launching Kaneki in the air, he was slammed into a concrete wall. Dust was everywhere by now and provided ample cover.

Kaneki got back up and looked at Jason straight in the eyes, or where they would be, had his armor not completely covered them.

Feeling the now-familiar tingly in his lower, back, Kaneki knew it was time to release his kagune. With a crackle, 4 electric-red tentacles surged from the one-eyed ghoul's body. They were mesmerizing, and their bright sheen made them only more deadly.

' Now it's my turn.'

And with the crack of an index finger, Kaneki had his rinkaku change direction, so that they now faced forward, poised to strike.

Slobbering and yelling like an animal and with a mighty roar of ' Ganegiiiiii', Kaneki jumped from the smoke and clashed his kagune with Jason's. While he was in the air, he used his two rear tentacled to keep him in the air by anchoring them to the ground. The other two were beating furiously at Jason.

Kaneki flipped backward so that he could have better mobility and continued with his never-ending onslaught of kagune strikes.

Jason blacked a barrage of Kaneki's strikes with his appendage and tried to swipe at Kaneki with one of his tendrils. Kaneki blocked the strike and released the two tentacles anchoring him down. He dropped to the floor and squatted to see what was going to happen. 

From the dust came Yamori, screaming out his name. With a lunge, he tried to attack Kaneki, who jumped up in order to dodge. Kaneki lunged at the appendage, grabbing it, and pushed back, landing a good few feet away. Jumping around, and blocking all of Jason's attacks without breaking a sweat, Kaneki smirked to himself.

Ducking low, he lunged and twisted a bit to the side, and all four of his kagune struck this same point of Jason's meaty appendage, completely cutting it off.

Kaneki jumped up and spread his kagune out, and used their middle parts, the blunt part, to crush Jason. A massive amount of dust arose, but it was over.

Jason lay alone in the middle of a crater, saying gibberish. Creeping up behind him, Kaneki used one of his kagune to spear Jason's left arm, eliciting a scream from the blond man.

Kaneki cracked a finger as he asked, ' What's 1000-7?' 

Yamori was writhing on the ground, and still had a gleam of defiance in his eyes. Kaneki used another tentacle to spear Jason's right leg, creating a massive hole in it. Kaneki's tentacles were thin, yet packed plenty of brute and blunt force.

' I'll ask again. What's 1000-7?'

At Jason's refusal to count, Kaneki speared Jason's left leg with a third tentacle. The tortured becoming the torturer was thrilling.

When Jason didn't obey, Kaneki dug the tips of his kagune deeper into Yakumo's flesh, making him cry in pain. Tears welled in the man's eyes as he began counting, memories from a time past, memories from Cochlea; where HE was the tortured crashing onto him like a bittersweet wave.

' 993...986...979...972...965...[...]'

As the man was pitifully sobbing, moistening the ground beneath him, Kaneki reached into his ear and took the centipede out, and flung him to the side. The centipede, a symbol of new birth, huh? At least now it has freedom.

' You tried to eat me... So you won't mind if I eat you, would you?'

And Kaneki ate one of Jason's kakuhous.

A.N I said that I would release both chapters on the same day but.... Nah. In any case here you go. I hope that I won't have to change the rating of the story. As always, please comment and constructive criticism is accepted. And I am pleased to announce this fic is already a year old! I don't know the exact date, but it's around this time. We're only a quarter way through this story. I'm very excited about the future of my fic. Thank you all so much!


	27. Chapter 27 The Battle

Important announcement in Author's notes. Please read that as well. ( No bad news)

Kaneki was staring at the writhing and moaning form of Jason on the floor. He had just eaten one of the man's kakuhous and saw that he had two others.

Crouching down, he used his kagune to fish out one of the remaining ones.

' I could use a new quinque.' Thought Kaneki. Asaki was powerful, but he needed a more powerful quinque, were he to destroy Aogiri. Tearing through his lower back, Kaneki grabbed a bright red sack, with a size of around half of that of a liver, and pulled. He used one of his rinkaku tentacles to sever the organ completely. 

The squishy and wriggling organ was warm to the touch and oddly comforting. Kaneki saw that his mask laid on a surgical table a few feet away and grabbed it while he was there.

Kaneki looked back at Yamori.

' It's your fault. Trash like you need to be euthanized.' There was a small silence before Kaneki continued with his monologue. ' If it was humans that made you so cruel, in a sense, you might be a victim too. But I won't become like you. I won't take lives for pleasure. The CCG is raiding this place, right? I won't be responsible for your life. Go on and be killed or die on your own.' Kaneki spat at him and walked away. Just as he was about to leave, a white-haired boy in battle armor came in. He had four barrettes that were arranged to make the roman numeral XIII.

' Juuzou, is that you?'

Juuzou, looked at him quizzically, before lighting up. ' Candy Man! Here you are! Did you kill that ghoul?'

' No, he's still alive. He was strong but I defeated him. I want him to suffer as he dies alone, an agonizing death.'

Juuzou just nodded and smiled brightly, even though the smile itself was a bit twisted. As Kaneki thought about it, he remembered someone mentioning that Juuzou wanted to have a proper quinque.

' Juuzou, do you want a real quinque?'

' Hah! Would I?'

Kaneki beckoned him and showed him the body.

' You can take his kakuhou. I defeated him, but I don't mind. I got what I wanted.'

' Yay! Candyman, you're the best.'

Juuzou leaned toward Jason, and ripped into his back, forcibly taking the kakuhou. As he did that, Kaneki looked at Jason in the eyes. They shared a gaze, and both knew what was going to happen. Jason said one thing. ' Mommy.....'

Juuzou giggled and leaned forwards, and quickly sliced Yamori's throat. With no kakuhous left to heal himself, he died as a human would. A fitting end for someone who wanted to become human through violence.

As Juuzou got up, he was pouting.

' No fair Candyman! You did all the work! But I still want to show Shinohara. Imma bring the body, just to prove it to him. Who was he?'

' S-rate Jason. He was powerful.'

' Hmmph. So you got all the fun. I really wanted to cut him up too.' Juuzou started dragging Jason's corpse as the pair started walking.

' Juuzou, stay here. I need to get something ok.'

' Go ahead.'

Kaneki rushed through the hallway. The CCG hasn't fully reached this part of the base, so they were fairly empty. He arrived at the cells where Jason kept people prisoner. If he had to guess, they were to spares in case his toy broke.

Finding the right cell, he used his kagune to swipe at the bars.

Banjou and his crew woke up and saw "Haise", now with white hair.

' Haise is that you? Are you-'

' Now's not the time. The doves are here. Run. Kei and Koto aren't coming. Just leave and stay safe.'

Angry tears spilled out of Kazuichi's eyes as he understood. Nodding, Kazuichi, and co. ran away.

Kaneki jogged back to where Juuzou was. Juuzou waved at him and they continued walking.

' Juuzou can you fill me in on what happened?'

' Sure!'

4 hours before

The CCG was all assembled in front of the base. Because of the forest on both sides of the compound, and the ocean behind the compound, the only way to enter the place was by barging through the front door.

A ghoul was sniping the CCG down, using his koukaku to shield him. The mercenary ghoul. Marude was infuriated that the CCG was being outgunned by ghouls.

Off to the side, Amon, Kuuzou, and Shinohara were standing around.

' Hey, Amon-seeenpaaai? Why aren't we attacking? And why are we using bullets? Shinohara told me that normal weapons are useless against ghouls.'

Amon decided to answer for Shinohara. ' First off, they're using guns stolen from the 11th ward's branch office. We could be ambushed or mowed down. And for the bullets, they're not lead bullets. These are Q bullets, with dissolved kagune in them. They're effective against all 4 types. But they're only effective to a certain degree.'

Shinohara decided to add on to the conversation. ' Long-range quinques are still more effective. This is our biggest drawback tonight. If only Arima were here... but we do have Misato with Emelio.'

' Will Scorpion be effective?'

' Not on the big guys, no. If you see Jason or the Bin brothers, don't try to confront them.' Answered Shinohra in his usual fatherly tone.

' Awww. No fun. Hey Amon, what Kaku is your quinque?'

' It's a koukaku. I prefer the heavier type ones. I have two, Kura and Doujima, though Doujima is broken at the moment.'

Iwao Kuroiwa slowly walked towards Shinohara, obviously wanting to talk to him, though it was obvious only to Shinohara. Kuroiwa could truly have an unreadable face.

' There's a standstill. Marude is pissed. He wants to bring in tanks.'

' Hah. That's so like Marude. He-'

Juuzou decided to interrupt. ' Hey, whose bike is that?'

' Hmm? Oh, that's Marude, it's his good luck charm. Brings it at every big op.

Juuzou smiled and waltzed towards it. He pickpocketed the keys and put them in the ignition.

He revved the engine and took off.

Marude, tears in his eyes, was chasing after Juuzou. ' W-ait! Stop! Don't... don't hurt my baby! STOP!'

Marude grabbed Juuou, but he just accelerated, forcing Itsuki to let go.

' Dumbass!'

As the motorbike was in the air, Juuzou jumped up, and lunged into the evening, taking out his Q bullet modified Uzi.

' Good Evenin'!'

Swinging around, Juuzou massacred the sniper ghouls with ease, at the cost of Marude's bike. Silence ensued, then Juuzou opened the door decapitated and perforated heads in hand.

' Come on in!'

Marude had tears in his eyes, as he gave a mighty battle cry. ' Goooooo!'

Back to the present.

' And that's what happened.' Said Juuzou. By this time, they were both outside and walking towards Marude's trailer. The trailer served as the Operation's center of command. 

Kaneki knocked on the door and walked in, making Marude spin around.

' You! You magnificent bastard I'm glad you're safe.' Marude said. He then noticed Kaneki holding a kakuhou and his white hair. ' I don't know what happened to you, but you look well enough.' Juuzou came and dropped Jason onto the floor.

' Hey, Maru! Candyman here defeated this guy, Jason was it? He did all the work but gave me a Kaku-whatever. Isn't he nice?'

Marude's eyes widened as he saw the mangled body of Yamori. He smiled and took the kakuhou, before putting them in a special box, labeling it.

Kaneki spoke up. ' He had an odd Kagune. It was like flesh armor.'

Marude was shocked. ' Did it cover his face?' Kaneki nodded. ' Wow. You defeated your first kakuja... amazing. And you defeated him by yourself?'

' I did. Juuzou came when it was over, so he finished it off. Not very hard.'

' And why didn't you?'

' I had no quinque, so I fought using my other assets. I didn't want Juuzou to see them.' Kaneki lied and scratched his chin, and an oblivious Marude nodded.

' I don't care, but good job. Koori was worried sick since you were declared M.I.A., but he'll be glad to know you're ok. Follow me Kaneki. Mabuchi! Take care of Jason and Juuzou, and send him to the frontlines, I want him to kick some ghoul ass.' 

Mabuchi nodded. Marude grabbed Kneki's shoulder and directed him to a small closet.

' I had a feeling you'd be fine. Here's your quinque, whatever it's called, and a battle uniform, your size. No helmet though, but I'm sure you'll do without it.'

Kaneki nodded and got changed into his new outfit. As he was doing that, Marude was rummaging in a first aid box to find an eyepatch. When Kaneki was over, he was in a gray outfit. A light gray metal plate covered his chest and back, while his arms were in black sleeves. There were two pockets on the sides of the armor plate. His legs were in black leggings, not tight, yet not loose, and with light gray shin guards. Boots were strapped to his knee and dark black gloves were put on last. Grabbing the quinque case and the eyepatch that Marude was handing him, he was ready for War.

Mabuchi ran up to Marude. ' On the rooftop of Tower 5, we lost contact with a squad of our men. We have no idea what happened.'

Marude nodded. ' Kaneki, guess where you're going?'

' Roof of tower 5?'

' Roof of tower 5. Get there, eliminate as many ghouls as possible. After that, rejoin with a comms team for an update.'

Kaneki nodded and handed Marude his mask. The middle-aged man lifted it and inspected it, before nodding. ' Juuzou went who knows where. Just keep your head screwed on tight and you'll be fine.'

With a shaky sigh, Kaneki said ok. Walking alone in the path that circled the compound, he was starting to feel drowsy, yet the adrenaline pumping into his veins for the upcoming fight was keeping him awake. He couldn't wait to crash into his bed of the chateau. He wanted to see Koori, return to the 4th ward's office to plan for the upcoming Restaurant raid. He wanted a sense of normality.

But he wanted, no, needed to protect them. His friends.

And that was why he was walking toward Tower 5, back from the way he came.

As he entered the dingy complex, he instantly saw the body of a CCG member. His body was cleanly cut into two distinct pieces: his shoulders and above, and his waist and below. It was like his stomach was completely destroyed in a single hit. Looking around, he saw an irregular blood pattern. Lastly, upon closer inspection, he noticed that there were smaller clean cuts all over the man's body.

This was most definitely the work of an Ukaku.

' Now Kaneki, different Kagune types leave different marks. The CCG can also analyze these marks to analyze other victims. If there's a 100% match, it's the same person. 50% for parents and siblings, and over 90 for twins. But that's on an in-depth level. If you see an injury on a body that seems to be done by a coarse file, that was done by a rinkaku. Something resembling a stab wound is more likely to be a koukaku. Bikaku injuries are like gashes. or puncture wounds. A mix between rinkaku and koukaku. Lastly, the ukaku are the trickiest. Their kagune shards are easy enough to discern, it's like bulletholes or a multitude of shallow lacerations. But marks made by their kagune itself, it's quite tricky to identify. There isn't much left. So if you ever see a combination of the two, it's probably an ukaku.'

Koori's words came to mind. There had to be a powerful ukaku nearby. As he continued to walk, he saw more and more bodies. As he was about to turn to a stairwell, he saw a quartet of ghouls. They were all huddled together and Kaneki was horrified to see that they were eating. Being as silent as possible, Kaneki crept up on one with his back turned to him, and broke his neck in one swift motion.

The three others were instantly aware of the newcomer's presence and wasted no time in putting back on their masks and activating their kagune. One had a small yet long bony ukaku, with a trio of dark circles on the three different segments making up the kagune. Another was a bikaku, with a bulky cleaver-like kagune. The top had a dark circle on the tip of the "blade" and an empty semi-circle at its base. Lastly, there was a koukaku with what appeared to be an insect leg-shaped kagune.

With a click, Kaneki opened up his attaché case and got Asaki out. These 3 ghouls weren't dumb, as the ukaku was behind the 2 others, being able to provide coverage. The koukaku charged in first, making use of his sturdy kagune to shield the others.

Glaring at them, Kaneki used his case to shield a blow from the bikaku, while unwinding his spine-like quinque. He shot it towards the ukaku, leaving him wide open.

They fell into his trap.

They thought that he was wide open because his kagune was fully extended. With a small flick of the wrist, the quinque's end began coming back towards Kaneki, and most importantly, the koukaku in front of him.

It happened all so quickly. Asaki's tip speared the koukaku through the neck. Koukaku ghoul was now dead ghoul. Bikaku ghoul soon followed as Kaneki punched him in the shoulder, forcing him to go back. Ken simply moved his hand to the left, making Asaki do so as well, yet with great speed. Asaki's sharp spikes on its top edge impaled the bikaku user and crushed him, pinning him between the quinque and its spikes and the concrete wall behind him.

The quinque was a bit stuck, so it took a mighty tug for it to be freed from the grasp of the concrete slabs.

The ukaku then shot a barrage of small bone-like bullets. They were small and round, yet elongated, almost like the phalanxes of one's hand.

The last ghoul tried to keep his distance but to no avail. Not against a mid to long-range quinque like Asaki that is. 

The one-eyed ghoul made quick work of his opponent, and all that was left were the flecks of blood that spattered his defensive gear. 

He put back the quinque into its container and continued his way up. Was that ukaku the one I'm looking for? It can't be. They were much too weak on their own to even try to go up against an investigator. So who is the other?

Kaneki finally reached the roof. The pitch-black sky was starless, and the only illumination came from the moon and the massive floodlights the CCG brought with them. Some crows were cawing in the distance, but otherwise, it was eerily silent. That is until Kaneki saw another figure on the rooftop.

The individual had a black coat lined with white hair. There were some buckles and bangles here and there. Over it, all was the traditional Aogiri robe and a purple scarf. Their mask had red eyes and a sharp-toothed grin, and what appeared to be blood red tear marks painted onto it. Very grim.

The fact that this person had a mask of their own, not the same one utilized by the rest of Aogiri hinted that the mysterious figure may be a real threat. 

The figure noticed that Kaneki was there and turned to face him. With what sounded like a tch sound and a whistle, the figure ran at him.

Out of nowhere, two other figures came from below, using their kagune to scale the wall of the building. So the whistle was a signal then.

As the duo of foolish ghouls came behind him, kagune poised to strike, Kaneki opened up his case and unleashed Asaki, instantly slicing both of them in half. This momentarily stopped the man in the grinning mask, but he soon continued. His subordinates just died and he didn't care? How cold-blooded.

The grinning ghoul tried to punch Kaneki, but he jumped back and spun in midair, landing a kick on the ghoul, who blocked with his forearm.

' Tch. You're not half-bad, dove boy.'

Kaneki made no comment at all and regained his footing. Speeding up, he punched at the ghoul, who blocked with another punch.

Jumping a bit back, they redid the same process a few more times, until the ghoul gave a high kick. Ken flipped back, and did a handstand, before blocking the kick with a kick of his own. Flipping back over, he elbowed the ghoul, who blocked with an elbow of his own.

This only seemed to irritate the ghoul even further. He flew into the air, spun a couple of times, before unleashing his kagune.

It was vermillion in color, with dark blue ends. He had a wing on each shoulder. So this was the ukaku then.

While he was in the air, the ghoul unleashed a tremendous barrage of ukaku shards. They were vermilion as well, and crystal-like. Kaneki simply used his quinque, and shaped it into a tight triangle, effectively turning it into a shield.

This scumbag was strong. But not as strong as Jason. So he would win.

This pissed the grinning piece of trash to no end, and as he landed on the ground, he spun his body, so that his kagune shards would come at him in a whirl.

Strong and not dumb. He would not be able to shield himself completely, and even if he did, it would leave a massive opening. That left one option: take the offense.

Kaneki braced for the impact as he rushed at the ghoul. Midway, he got Asaki in an arc in the air, striking down on the concrete at tremendous speed. The ghoul dodged the tip, but still took the blunt side of the quinque, dazing him.

Kaneki rushed at him, took him by the shoulders, and kneed him in the stomach, before throwing him down in the hole in the ground made by his previous attack.

' You know, trash, when you attacked me a second ago, I couldn't help but notice something. Your kagune... it's eerily similar to that of another ghoul I fought before. That trashy bitch. What was her nickname again? Ah! Rabbit. She was utterly pathetic. 3 times we fought, and three times she ran away. How utterly laughable. So what are you? You're a guy, so you're her adorable little brother?'

Kaneki was grinning and glaring at the ghoul before him. And Kaneki could imagine the look of fear the young ghoul wore behind his mask.

Ken continued with his monologue. ' That harlot killed my superior. And as much as I would make her pay for it, you're the next best thing. How I can imagine the look on her face as I use her adorable little brother against her. What a fine quinque you'll make. But first... I'll beat you half to death. So you can suffer. Trash.'

Our protagonist jumped down and used Asaki to ricochet on the floor to strike at the boy. The ghoul dodged, but Kaneki grabbed his cloak and kneed him in the stomach. Rabbit's sibling coughed out blood, which trickled down his chin, under his mask.

The ghoul, coughing, unleashed a smaller version of his kagune and tried to shoot him with his shards. Kaneki dodged and strikes at his thigh with his quinque.

' Your kagune is about the volume from long-range. It's underpowered at short range, so you fight from a distance. There's not much space down here, is there?'

Kaneki used Asaki to strike again, but what the ghoul did was genuinely surprising.

He unleashed the full strength of his kagune, and wrapped it around his body, save for his head. He just stood there, as he was shooting out shards. Offense and defense.

Kaneki used Asaki to strike again and again but to no avail. He had two options: wait it out or...

Kaneki rushed at the boy. He gt hit a good few times, but no matter, the suit protected him. He grabbed the boy's blue locks and kneed him right in the face, breaking his nose.

' Ahhh! You-you fucker! I'm gonna..'

Kaneki interrupted him by kicking him in the temple, sending him flying a few feet, rolling across the floor.

Kaneki used Asaki to puncture the concrete floor, and threw him down, using all of his ghoul strength.

Ayato (or the grinning ghoul as the dove called him) was not having a good day. He was thrashed by this guy. He couldn't die here. Not now. As he was flung back down, he could only wonder, how could a human be this strong? They were weak, like his dad. So how?

As Kaneki tackled him to the floor, he told him coldly, ' I will beat you half to death. So you will suffer before I finish you off.'

The ghoul's mask broke for the upper half. He could see the ghoul's fearful half. It made Kaneki's heart wrenching, but no pity could be given to those of Aogiri.

' What do you think is half to death? It's half of death. So what I have to do is perform half the act of killing... Say the destruction of the entire body is one death. Separating that into the upper and lower body would lead to a big discrepancy in damage. You can live without your lower body, but you'd die if your upper body was crushed. So then I thought, what about the organs? You'd have to consider the importance of each of them. Organs are hard to classify, to begin with. Take the brain. Does the whole thing make one organ? Or can it be divided into the cerebrum, cerebellum, and hippocampus? So I arrived at the bones.'

Ayato was pissing himself by now. He was spent, used up all his stamina in the earlier fights. This was the end, and he would never be able to see his sister again. He was like his dad. Weak. Kaneki continued his monologue.

' The human body has 206 bones. If you break all of them, I'm sure you'd die. Bones are symmetrical, ao it's easy to break half of them. And so I'm going to break 103 of your bones. Let's start with the arm.'

Crack.

Ayato yelled in pain. Fuck that hurts.

' The upper and forearm, then the hand. There's one humerus in the upper arm. The forearm consists of two bones. The one I just broke on the side of your pinky is the ulna. The one on the side of your thumb I'm about to break is the humerus. The hand is divided into carpals, metacarpals, and phalanges. The carpals consist of the pisiform, triquetrum, lunate, scaphoid, hamate, capitate, trapezoid, and trapezium. Those eight.'

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack.

' They're densely packed here so I'll crush them with my feet. There are 5 in the metacarpals.'

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack.

' There are three parts to the phalanges. The proximal, middle and distal, and phalanx. The thumb doesn't have a middle phalanx. So there are 14 phalanges in one hand.'

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. 

' Finally crushing the humerus does it for the arm.'

Crack.

The ghoul was thrashing in pain, saliva dripping from its mouth.

' Next is your leg. From the femur, there are thirty, just like your arm. If you include the sesamoid bones, there are 32. The scapula and clavicle, the nasal, zygomatic, lacrimal, and palatine bones. You have two of each. Let's do all 24 of your ribs. Both maxillas and the mandible. The ethmoid and finally... the sphenoid.'

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. 

' And that's all of them. Now, you die. I can't wait to see your sister's betrayed screams as I cut her down with your kagune turned quinque.'

Kaneki picked up Asaki and was about to finish him off as he heard some footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw a group of CCG investigators and a comms team member. They all had the CCG modified uzis and were a bit wary of Kaneki.

' Who are you?' Asked the leader, gripping the muzzle of his weapon a little more tightly.

' Rank 3 Investigator Ken Kaneki. I was engaging this ghoul in combat.'

The team seemed more at ease at this revelation. Just as they were about to ease up, a massive lamprey-like kagune killed two of the men in one fell swoop. The kagune was reddish-purple in color, with mouths on the sides of it. At the tip was a massive lamprey mouth, which soon proved to not only be esthetic but also fully functional.

The ghoul started using his kagune to eat one of the surviving members, before dismembering the two others who were futilely firing shots at it.

Never had Kaneki seen a bikaku so massive. It was twice as thick as his entire body, and almost 8 feet long.

The eerie giant of a ghoul had long black hair tied up in a ponytail. They wore a white mask featuring huge black lips, a massive mouth with massive teeth, and tiny slits for nostrils. Kaneki guessed from what Banjo said and from the devastation at the 11th ward's branch office that this was Noro.

As Kaneki's previous opponent was incapacitated, it posed him no harm to leave him behind. Taking up Asaki, Kaneki swung the quinque and sliced the man in half. It was surprisingly easy until Noro completely regenerated. An armada of fleshy tendrils sprouted from both ends of his body, weaving and interlocking themselves to rejoin shoulder to chest. It happened in seconds, and Noro was good as new.

Was this guy some sort of fucking kagune monster?

Noro walked towards Kaneki, then past him, without harming him in any shape way, or form. He took the battered figure of the grinning ghoul and put it on his shoulder, carrying him.

Kaneki attacked him a few more times, only for the giant to regenerate and carry on. He was soon out of sight.

How fucking weak could I be?, Kaneki thought.

Grumbling, he picked up the old comm set and relayed the information to Marude.

' Defeated the ghoul in Tower 5, the subject had a mask with red eyes and a sharp-toothed grin. Roughly an S-rate. Before I was able to exterminate him, SS-rate Noro intervened to save him. S-rate "Grinning Ghoul" had a powerful ukaku and was around the age of 15 if I had to guess.'

There was static on the other end, but Kaneki clearly heard, ' Bah. It's fine, you showed him who's boss. Just continue walking around and eliminating as many ghouls as possible.'

As Kaneki confirmed he had received his new orders, something else was occurring. A new arrival was in Tower 7.

Meanwhile, 24th ward

Koori was pulled out of the 11th ward at the last second by Arima to participate in an emergency investigation in the 24th ward. It's been a while since he was down in this hellhole, where only the truly wicked and desperate ghouls reside. And their reason for this emergency investigation?

An influx of ghoul activity and some form of organization. Not Aogiri, still concerning, but not something one would consider an emergency.

S3 squad was currently facing an S+ rinkaku ghoul, nicknamed "Aus".

The six members in their white hoods and their titular white coats were all mercilessly slaughtering the ghouls. It was a new recruit of the squad, a girl with pink hair, that had the decisive strike.

All of the members looked up to Koori, who was a former member, but his head was preoccupied with something else. Kaneki. Was he safe? It's been 10 days since he got news from him. He was pronounced M.I.A. Koori had his first junior partner and was thrilled yet apprehensive at first, but now he really liked the one-eyed kid.

Koori used Taruhi in its whip mode to quickly dispatch some she-ghoul before him. He wasn't concentrating, and it might cost him.

A ways further in a dark, damp tunnel, Arima himself was exterminating his opponents in rapid succession, without hesitating. 

The stale air of the tunnels, caused by almost a century of a lack of wind always lingered with the irony smell of blood. It wafted into your nose and permeated in the constricted hallways. Even if, hypothetically, the 4th ward made him go soft and complacent, it was still miles better than this shithole.

Koori leaned on a brick wall for a moment, when he heard his phone ring. Wondering what it could've possibly been, he checked it. It happened to be a message from Marude. Preparing himself for the worse, Koori clicked.

Kaneki is safe and sound but changed his hair a bit. And he gave me an early birthday present: the corpse of S-rate Jason on my doorstep. You raised a real monster Ui.

Koori smirked and felt as if a load on his shoulders was taken off.

Kaneki was safe. And killed his first S-rate. As Koori sighed to himself, he saw Arima walk towards him.

In his usual calm and somewhat disinterested tone, he said:' Cochlea has been breached. We must clean up here and go there as fast as possible. It seems that Warden Kyouji Misaka has died.'

That instantly killed Koori's mood.

Back to the 11th ward.

There he was. The one-eyed Owl was before them. A force of nature, only beaten by Kishou Arima himself.

Amon and the others were sent away, leaving only Special Class Investigator Shinohara, Special Class Kuroiwa, and Senior Investigator Hirako.

As both Special Class Investigators faced the SSS-rate abomination, they activated Arata Proto.

Shinohara had an S-rate quinque, Oniyamada, made from the bikaku kakuhou of the ghoul of the same name. Countless Senior and Associate Special Class Investigators lost their lives against him.

Kuroiwa had an S-rate quinque as well, the famed Kuroiwa Special. A rinkaku constructed from Ohse, a repeat offender and robber, who killed cops en masse.

Hirako possessed an A-rated rinkaku quinque, Nagomi 1/3. It relied on exceptional swiftness to cut cleanly whoever it faced.

And finally, both Special Class Investigators possessed the prototype for Arata. Arata Proto was a cutting-edge kakuja quinque, but from the Corpse Collector, a ghoul Shinohara defeated nearly a decade ago. It was a kakuja armor that shielded the men's upper halves, whilst dramatically increasing their speed and attacking power.

Suffice to say, the trio of men were ready to rumble.

Kuroiwa and Shinohara got into lunging stances, before pushing back roughly on their hind legs, propelling them forward at tremendous speed.

The Owl shot a barrage of shards, but with Arata, they had nothing to fear.

Both investigators struck at the Owl, only to be parried by the large scimitar-like kakuja. The owl was notoriously difficult to face, as his ukaku kakuja mostly acted like a koukaku, giving him an extra advantage.

The Owl sent them both back with a swipe of his blades, but Arata shielded them.

Shinohara briefly spoke to Kuroiwa. ' This Arata's got one helluva protective ability. It makes all of the difference.'

Kuroiwa gruffly nodded as he got back into an attacking position. Hirako was off to the side, with a blank yet calculating look. Hirako was the lynchpin here, as he knew the most about Arima, and by extension, on how to defeat the Owl.

' That's what you're thinking, isn't it?' Thought Take. ' Arima was a natural... he could basically never teach me anything. I doubt that you expect that much from me, but if you expect half, nay, a third of what he did, from me... you should know that I can't live up to it.' Hirako ducked from an impending swing that hit his helmet, shattering it, but leaving him unharmed. ' I may not have met a third of your expectations, but I hope that I met at least a tenth of them.

Kuroiwa and Shinohara capitalized on that moment to strike on opposite ends of the SSS-rate ghoul's kagune. The ghoul tilted a bit like he was dazed.

' It's over.'

' So we...'

' Yeah, we lost. We lacked firepower.'

Kuroiwa ran forward and blocked a strike from the Owl with his quinque, yet the sheer force of the blow made him stumble back a few feet. A cannonade of kagune shards assaulted the man, who could only brace for impact.

Simultaneously, Shinohara snuck up on their opponent and tried to land an overhead strike, only to meet the rock-hard shell of the kakuja.

Coordinating his movements, Yukinori shifted his body as to narrowly evade all of the attacks. Ducking in a squat position, then jumping back up, he did it all, because if he failed, the cost would be his life. 

Jumping in the air, he managed to land down after striking horizontally at the ghoul's face, which only healed in a matter of seconds.

' Damn, it wasn't deep enough.'

Just as the situation seemed hopeless, a neon red tendril came from the darkness. It struck directly at the kagune's "shoulderblade" and shattered it, making it evaporate in a plume of RC cells. It would reform quickly, but they had to capitalize on it.

' Kuroiwa, let's push Arata to its limit.'

' Mmm. Let's go.'

' Come on Arata. Eat up.'

Arata's shell started to come to life. Strands of quinque steel started growing wildly, and the quinque itself constricted their user's body, shrinking down a size. The pain was tremendous, but the payoff was worth it.

The duo rushed forwards with inhuman speeds and struck the ghoul multiple times. Blood leaked from every orifice of the two men, but they started to look increasingly worn out.

Just as Shinohara kneeled on the ground, Arata was obviously malfunctioning, a man with white hair and an eyepatch on his left eye appeared.

Clutching an attache case, he walked out as the darkness cast a shadow over his eyes, but it was as if the hidden one was gleaming underneath.

' I was in the neighborhood, and I heard all of this commotion. Need a helping hand?'

Before anyone could speak, Shinohara yelled out in pain. The safety wasn't working, and it seemed that the quinque itself was consuming him.

Kaneki quickly grasped the gravity of the situation and wasted no time in getting Asaki out. He could've sworn the Owl grumbled under its breath, but paid no mind to it. As much as Kaneki was touting his power, he knew that he was no match for the Owl, yet at least.

So he launched Asaki towards the Special Class Investigators, shielding them with the quinque. The offense would've been futile.

Kuroiwa, not that Kaneki knew his name, nodded in appreciation as he helped his friend out.

Then, the abomination spoke.

' What a horrifying weapon. The world continues to breed anger and sadness. Pilfering, killing. We justify those acts to convince ourselves that what we are only doing is what we are supposed to. Your weapon is a symbol of that. There exists no reason to take another's life. Any act of taking a life is equally evil.'

Everyone was confused. How could a monster like the one-eyed ghoul talk about his ethos of pacifism as he created carnage around him?

' It's time.'

The ghoul suddenly dashed away. Kaneki got the memo and used Asaki to try and catch up, but the one-eyed Owl was too fast.

So that is who he will have to kill to protect his friends...

Short time skip to 20 minutes later

All surviving combatants were gathered outside. According to radio transmissions and orders, everyone was to board CCG vehicles and head to the 23d ward. They weren't given a reason why, but it was an emergency.

Shinohara was taken to a med team, but there were few overall casualties. Word has it that there was a 98% extermination rate. An amazing number, as they had even managed to kill 3 S-rates.

When he was outside, Kaneki had a joyful reunion with Amon. Apparently, he took care of both of the Bin brothers, much to Kaneki's shock.

Both happily caught up with each other as they boarded a bus. It was nice to see a friend's face after being holed up in Yamori's playroom for over 10 days.

As they got closer and closer to the 23d ward, they saw that they were going to Cochlea. Amon recognized the place and told Kaneki to stay on his toes.

As they approached the facility, it was clear why they were called here.

Cochlea was breached.

As the vans parked outside, everyone noticed a large number of investigators already present. And among them was Koori.

Koori also noticed Kaneki and rushed to reunite with him.

' Look at you! I'm glad you're safe. I was worried to death about what happened.' Koori gave a light chop to Kaneki's neck. Kaneki gave a sheepish look in response, which Koori laughed off.

Returning to both of their previous demeanor, Koori explained the situation to Kaneki.

' Around an hour ago, Aogiri broke into Cochlea. What was happening in the 11th ward was merely a distraction. This was their true end goal. And it's terrifying.'

' What happened?'

' 36 A-rated ghouls, 6 S-rated ghouls, and 3 SS-rated ghouls escaped. The only ones to not have been broken out are those in the SSS-level, Donato Porpora, Tsunagi, and Arata.'

Kaneki visibly cringed at the horrible news. Koori pressed on.

' Of the S-rated ghouls, Naki of the White Suits broke out, which will be a huge pain in the ass to handle. Now the SS-rated Rio, or Jail, depends on how you call him, Orca, and Roma are out in the wild.'

' Fuck.'

' I know.'

' And what about those that didn't escape?'

Koori tilted his head quizzically before answering. 

' Well... Arata, the Corpse Collector is in an undisclosed part of Cochlea. He is an S-rate, but he is much more valuable, as his kakuja is unique. He is being harvested for kakuhou. Tsunagi is a C-rate, extremely weak, but their bikaku are mass-produced. I believe 1 out of every 5 investigators has some form of Tsunagi. And lastly, Donato is... a degenerate, the less said about him the better. He's the only SS-rate to remain.'

Kaneki nodded.

' So what will we do now?'

' Well, it's too late to do much. Aogiri must have bolted with their new recruits. What I can say, however, is that the status quo is changing, and not for the better.'

Kaneki nodded, knowing that this would be a long night.

As he looked up to the sky, he could only think about his new goal, and how to acquire strength. And how what's distorting this world...

was everything in it.

6622 words

A.N. Whew, that was long. The next few chapters will be taking place in the Tokyo Ghoul Void period but will be important. 6 more chapters or so before the Ghoul Restaurant raid and Kaneki's promotion! I'm proud to announce that we're already a quarter way done! 

And now, for the important bit: I want you guys to comment on what type of weapon will the quinque made out of Jason be. The only caveat is that it can't be a sword or katana. Note that this isn't absolute and that if I hate all of the suggestions, I'll go with an idea I already have. Be creative! And even if your idea isn't picked, it may be recycled as a future quinque or kagune.


	28. Chapter 28 The Investigation

It's been a few days since the events in the 11th ward. When the media got hold of the fact that a prison filled to the brim with vicious ghouls got out, it wasn't a pretty sight. Marude awned up and did as much damage control as possible.

Kaneki, on the other hand, crashed on his bed when he arrived at the chateau. He slept for a day straight, but Koori didn't mind. On his second day of break, Kaneki decided to go shopping for new things, seeing as his new home was mostly bare. He just bought bookshelves, so that his book collection had a place to go instead of collecting dust on the floor.

It was nice to see that his house finally became a home. But there were more important things to do at the moment.

Koori was having an emergency meeting for the situation in the 4th ward.

At the moment, Kaneki was sitting beside Koori as he was listing off everything wrong in the ward to the Division I & Division II liaison investigators, the head of the Bureau investigators, some senior Investigators, and Kaneki himself. It was a small staff, mostly due to the small number of ghoul cases at the moment.

Koori was standing up, putting his hands on the table as he was going off.

' Some members of the clowns escaped from Cochlea, and as the 4th ward has always been a hotbed for Clown activity, we can only expect some activity. At the moment, the 23rd ward is run over by escapees, and we may have to expect the same. None of the escapees are from the ward itself, but Shachi is from the 6th, which is a bit too close for comfort. Any questions?'

No one had any, but it was probably because they didn't have the balls to ask a pissed-off Koori.

' Then this meeting is adjourned. Remember, this is only a warning. You may continue on your respective cases.'

All the men nodded and filed out the room in silence. Kaneki stayed behind.

' Kaneki. On the subject of our case, the Ghoul Restaurant, we have gotten many new developments as of late. First off, the date of the raid is confirmed at the address you gave from the 7th ward. We'll have to work closely with Senior Investigator Taishi Fura for it. Furthermore, the lab told us that a corpse in the 4th ward has kagune marks from a known Restaurant patron.'

Kaneki made a noise of understanding. ' And what is the suspect's RC type?'

' Glad you asked. It seems to be a koukaku, and a unique one at that, if the markings are anything to go by. We're going to the crime scene, it was discovered by a maid who was cleaning the room. We already interviewed her, she saw nothing.'

Kaneki and Koori briskly walked out of the building, wanting to get to the garage as fast as possible. The CCG was getting budget cuts, so peaceful wards like the 4th were experiencing a lack of personnel and equipment.

Thankfully, there was one car left, and Koori took the wheel. They were in their regular work clothes, and both had their respective quinques on them. And speaking of which...

' Ken, I saw the diagrams for your quinque, and I sent them to Dr. Chigyou, but... how to put this? The design is ambitious. And expensive.'

' So what do you think? Is it impossible to make?'

' No, not necessarily. It'll take time. At least 7 months to make. In the meantime, if I were you, I'd get another quinque, preferably from an A-rate. It'll have to be simple though so that you can have it within a month. What RC type are you thinking?'

Kaneki pondered over the dilemma presented over him. ' A rinkaku should be fine.'

' Rinkaku huh. It does seem that they are your area of expertise. I prefer koukakus, as does Arima, though he mixes it up with his ukakus. Are you sure you want to focus on them only? Some investigators are proficient with them all, like Mado. True quinque specialists, come to think of it, his dau-'

Kaneki abruptly cut him off, waving his hand. ' We're here.'

As it turned out, they were on the border between the 4th ward and the 5th ward. Aoyama was right next door, but the victim was located in a hotel room, in Roppongi. The Chandre Crest building was looming over them in the distance, where Jewelry Tycho has its headquarters.

Kaneki and Koori parked their car and walked in. With a flash of their CCG i.d.s, the receptionist nodded and walked them up to where the crime happened: Room 54.

This was a luxury hotel, so obviously the room was glamorous and frivolous. The room was a mix between modern and antique, with the main color palette being light gray. Two crystal chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling, and the walls were lined with expensive mirrors and lights. There was a couple of bouquets of small flowers, and a coffee table that was probably worth more than the car they drove to come here.

A massive queen-sized bed was the main part of the room, and it seemed that its comforts would engulf you if you sat on it.

Near the bed, a body and a chalk outline were surrounding it. Blood seeped from the body to the rug it was on, and the pool of blood made the wood around the body swell. Some droplets were spattered on the walls and clung to the mirrors. 

The receptionist seemed disturbed and quickly left. A team of bureau investigators already came an hour ago, but they did the bare minimum. Lazy bastards.

The victim seemed to be a young professional in his late twenties. He had a dark gray business suit and a lime green tie. His messy brown hair licked his temples, and his frozen gaze looked up to the ceiling. It was obvious how he died, as there was a large gash going from jugular to jugular.

' Kaneki, this is probably the first time you examined a victim's body so watch closely at how it's done. Normally the bureau investigators do this but... they are less than helpful right now.'

Kaneki peered over Koori's shoulder and observed what he was doing.

' After determining what was the cause of death, here blood loss due to a kagune, we determine the RC type. Again, we already know, and we went over this previously. Now the important part is analyzing the victim to see where they were eaten, and profiling the ghoul aggressor. Here it's a young man in his late twenties, so it's most likely a she-ghoul that killed him. They go for their "type" in general. The most common victim the CCG faces, for example, are young girls in their late teens to early twenties. It appeals to the more hot-blooded young ghouls. Now, where was our victim eaten?'

Kaneki took out a pen, as to not touch the body, and pointed with it. ' The face is practically intact, due to the man's good looks, and there's a large hole in the stomach. She must've used her hand to rip out his organs. She must've done it pretty methodically for there to be not a single trace of it.'

' Excellent, Kaneki, but you missed something.' Koori put on gloves and lifted the body. To Kaneki's shock, the man's ass was completely gone. You could even see the mans' tailbone from the outside.

' It seems she likes to eat ass.'

' Now, now Kaneki, no need to be vulgar.' Koori chided playfully. Kaneki glared at him, but had a deep blush on his face, to the point where his ears were scarlet.

' The lab told us the murder happened between 10 and 11 pm of last night. Go to the security room and ask for their security recordings, while I prod around to find clues. Also, get a list of all guests and patrons within the last week. And gather some general information while you're at it.

Kaneki nodded and went out of the room. Dragging his quinque case gently on the ground, he was smelling the air for traces of blood, other than the one in the hotel room.

As he was walking down the opulent hallway, he saw a gaggle of maids talking to one another.

' Excuse me, ladies, I am investigator Kaneki, working for the CCG. It seems we have a predation incident here. Would you know anything by any chance?'

Most of the maids were fairly young, with maybe one or two of them being middle-aged. They started muttering and gossiping amongst themselves before one was pushed forward by the group.

' Uhh, hi. We-we didn't see anyone strange in particular.'

' No one? Does a strange woman come to mind? Someone that deeply unsettled you?'

Kaneki leaned forward and practically butted heads with the girls, who turned into a furious shade of red.

' N-no, not really Mr. K-kaneki.'

' Did the man in room 54... how to put this. Called a "woman of the night" to assist him?'

Now that got a reaction.

' Mr. Hasegawa died? He was so young!' said one of the older women. Kaneki took out a notebook and started writing. ' Mr. Hasegawa you say... did you know him? Enough to know his personal information?'

' W-why yes. Mr. Hasegawa was a young businessman for Air JapanTG. He would come regularly here because Air JapanTG has a deal with the hotel for their employees. He told me once that he was sent all over the world to inspect the hotels where passengers and air flight crew spend the night in case of flight delays and cancellations.'

' How often do you think he came here?'

' Hmmm. He was good friends with Mr. Kobachi from Tokyo Gourmet. I eavesdropped, I know it's wrong, that they went to the gym together occasionally.'

Kaneki scribbled as much info as possible on his little notepad. Then, one of the younger girls remembered something.

' Actually, Mr. Hasegawa did talk to a lady last night. I remembered her because of her hair.'

Kaneki perked up. Will they be able to have a description of a potential suspect this early?

' Her hair?'

' Yeah, it was really exotic. It was all silver and really long. She had purple buns in her hair and some accessories. Nice dress and everything. She had a spider web tattoo on the side of her left eye all the way to her temple. I thought she was a yakuza. In any case, Mr. Hasegawa sat and talked with her for a while. He drank some sake while she drank a coffee at the bar.'

At this point, currently was writing as much as he could on the paper. When he finished that, he got a genius idea.

' Can you show me where they drank?'

' Of course, but why is that-'

Kaneki grabbed her by the hand, ordering her to lead the way. The other maids were still fawning over Kaneki, not that he noticed (he was quite dense when it came to this type of thing), and she brought him to a bar.

' Was the trash taken out yet?'

' No, only on Wednesdays and on Sundays.'

Kaneki smiled and started frantically searching through the trash in the bin. Inspecting the receipts, he found multiple different orders for coffee, but he needed one from around 9.

As he kept rummaging, he finally found the one he was looking for.

2 coffees, 9:47 PM, last night. And the receipt was signed. It read a simple Rou.

So this was their suspect.

While the maid was muttering about how ghoul investigators really were another breed, Kaneki thanked her and left, but not before asking for directions to the CCTV room.

In the hotel's basement, Kaneki knocked at the door of the security office. No answer. Kaneki knocked again, the same result. On the third try, Kaneki banged on it.

The door finally opened to reveal a portly and balding man, with crumbs all over his black sweater, with a golden nametag.

' Hello, I'm Ken Kaneki from the CCG. I'd like to see the footage of what happened at the bar last night at around 9:47.'

The man was dumbfounded and nodded a bit, before letting him in.

Kaneki was appalled by the state of the room. Empty beer and soda cans littered the floor, a pinup poster on the wall, car magazines and old newspapers everywhere. The control monitor was greasy, and the TVs were stained and had fingerprints everywhere. And to Kaneki's utmost disgust, there was a lotion bottle on the desk, next to a trashcan full f tissue papers.

Kaneki gagged. It reeked of body odor and...

This deeply offended Kaneki, who was a clean freak by nature.

The man pressed his buttons on the control panel and got the footage running.

It was grainy and in black and white, but Kaneki could deal with it.

At 9:47, there was Mr. Hasegawa on a bar stool, drinking, accompanied by a lady friend, who was paying her bill. She was the suspect.

' Would you kindly go backward?'

The security guard compiled and reeled the footage back. Seeing the people move backward was odd, but he dealt with it.

' Stop. Right here.'

The woman, Rou, walked into the hotel and sat down in a lounge area, where Mr. Haegawa was. They didn't say anything for a while before they started talking.

' Press Play.'

Soon enough, Mr. Hasegawa invited her to the bar, and the rest was history.

But, at exactly 9:42, Rou looked back. And she looked straight at the camera by accident.

Kaneki took out his phone and took a picture of her. She was female, mid-to-late twenties, and had long silver hair and fair skin. She wore a form-fitting purple dress that ruffles from the waist down, earrings and matching bracelets, and hair accessories. She also wore long purple boots that almost reach up to her knees. Kaneki knew this because he knew her hair had purple buns, and all of her clothing was in the same shade of black. She also had a distinctive spider-web tattoo.

This was the ghoul.

Thanking the security guard for his help, Kaneki rushed out of that pigsty, only to go wash his hands.

Running back up the stairs, he went back to the hotel room. Koori was in his vest while inspecting Hasegawa's suitcase.

' Ah, Ken. Glad you're back. I found some interesting things. The man's name is Yuji Hasegawa, says so on his clothes and wallet. Furthermore, I found some lipstick on his neck. We can do a DNA test to confirm the identity of the ghoul. And how about you? Any luck on your end?'

Kaneki nodded excitedly and handed him over his notes.

Koori looked them over and smiled, but a bit strained.

' And here's a picture of the girl.'

Kaneki handed over his phone.

' Well, excited as I may be, Rou isn't much to go by. The image helps a lot, but only to an extent. And the fact that the victim and the aggressor didn't know each other doesn't help us. Good work nonetheless. I'll call someone to put a wanted sign on the face.'

' Damn it.'

' It's fine. This woman seems to be of the upper crust, so we'll investigate places where socialites gather. Who knows, we might get lucky.

As they were talking, some haggard-looking bureau investigators came in, with a cleanup crew not far behind. Koori stood up and started telling them what to do as they grumbled. Leaving them to their own devices, they went outside to be welcomed by a cold late December breeze. 

Kaneki opened the driver's seat's door for Koori, while he took the passenger seat.

As they drove away, perched upon a building was Rou herself, smoking from an opera length cigarette holder. 

' Ahhh Yuji. He was an absolutely delightful meal. Such a shame he had to die like that. And his shoulders... ooh, just thinking about it is making me go wild!'

Leaning back, she was watching the dove's car go away. How amusing. Inspecting her nails, she beckoned her helper to her.

' Kinko, will you be a dearie and go after those pesky doves? We haven't known each other for long, but I know you're reliable. I saw what you did to those guys in the 7th ward.'

Kinko is a large hulking ghoul with long reddish hair, swollen looking eyes, and sickly pale skin. He has four distinct scars that cross from his chest to his neck, and a tattoo across the bridge of his nose that resembles a scar. He was wearing a khaki green long-sleeved romper, with chains binding his hands together. He also used chains as his belt. 

Rou found Kinko shortly after the Cochlea break, where she presumed he was from. He seemed a bit lonely and was willing to work for her in exchange for food, clothing, shelter, and company. He was a good boy, a kindred soul even, but his vicious side...

it never failed to throw Rou for a loop. He also had such an interesting kagune. Very unique.

In the week they've known each other, Kinko emerged as one of her best men. Maybe now she'll be as influential as the likes of Mr.MM and Madam A. As much as she'd love to claim it, she was far from reaching Big Madam's power and authority, one that even seeps into the human world.

But claiming the 4th ward as her turf would be a good start.

Kinko nodded and lumbered away, before briskly speeding up and hopping from rooftop to rooftop.

Rou took her pair of binoculars out and looked at the dove car once again.

That white-haired boy...

Rou smiled to herself and bit her lip, feeling the pit of her stomach lighting ablaze.

She was going to starve herself, just to savor that pretty boy.

Kaneki and Koori were driving, listening to Cö Shu Nie on Koori's playlist. 

' So, Koori, you seemed really at ease at that hotel? Are you used to that kind of wealth?'

' Well, my parents are quite wealthy. We had a falling out when I joined the CCG though. I was young and wanted to be independent. Simultaneously the best and worst decision I ever made. But I-'

As they drove under an underpass, something crashed unto the hood of the car with such force that the car flipped.

Both Kaneki and Koori had their seatbelts on, and the airbags helped, but it was still a shock. Kaneki managed to take off his seatbelt and get out, While Koori was zoned out.

Grabbing his quinque out of the car, and with his vision blurring and tinted red, Kaneki stood up as best he could. On the hood of the car was a ghoul with purple skin and red hair, with chained up hands and waist.

' What the fu-'

The ghoul lumbered towards him and swung his fist at him, Kaneki ducked, so the fist connected with the traffic barrier behind him. The steel was bent and flew in the other direction.

Note to self: don't get punched.

Upon closer inspection, Kaneki realized that the man's fists were the size of his head and that he stood at a comfortable 7 feet tall.

By this time, Koori also got out of the car, which was a relief. Glass was lodged in his shoulder, but seemed relatively fine otherwise.

' Miss told me to hurt you. Kinko agreed. Kinko wants to go home and garden.'

Okay. This was odd. Regardless, Kaneki took Asaki out and shot the quinque towards the giant ghoul.

In response, Kinko lifted his arms, using the chains as a shield. The attack was completely blocked.

' Ka-Kaneki. It's no use. He's a cochlea escapee. Those chains are specifically made for ghouls. They're made out of quinque steel! They're basically the same as our quinques.'

This changed the game significantly.

Normally, Koori would've killed the ghoul easily by now, quinque chains or not. The problem was him being severely injured at the moment.

Koori took out his trusty Taruhi and turned it into its whip form.

He tried striking the ghoul, who just turned and parried with his chains.

Fortunately, this ghoul seemed quite slow up there, so they would be able to defeat with cooperation.

Yay, the power of teamwork saves all, Koori thought.

' Kaneki! Take position E!'

Kaneki nodded.

Koori sent Taruhi's whip's end at Kinko's face, while Kaneki aimed Asaki's tip at the back of Kinko's skull.

The position would crush Kinko's head, and rid themselves of this troublesome ghoul.

Mere inches before the quinques connected with Kinko's face, the ghoul ducked, exclaiming, ' Flower!'

What?

Kinko ducked so fast, Kaneki could barely see him. He ran to the traffic barrier and kneeled. He gently scooped up the flower, taking its roots with it. It was a pink buttercup, and Kinko gently put it into his breast pocket.

So the ghoul had a big heart. A gentle giant if you will.

Kinko turned and looked at them. 

' Kinko loves flowers.'

Kaneki had no idea what to do before Koori stepped in.

' Umm Kinko, why are you doing this?'

' Because Miss Rou told me to. She's nice. She also looks like a flower.'

' So you like flowers, big guy?'

' Yes, Kinko is quite well-versed in the esoteric field of floriculture.'

What?

' Okie-Dokie, Kinko is gonna kill you now.'

Kinko rushed towards Kaneki and performed the most brutal lariat Koori had ever seen. It instantly shattered Kaneki's ribs and clavicle.

Kaneki slumped backward, limp as his body began regenerating. How? How could he lose to Kinko when he won against Jason? Kaneki was in turmoil, though he knew the answer: he didn't take Kinko seriously. Big mistake.

Kaneki grit his teeth and punched the floor. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

Koori, on the other hand, was taking Kinko seriously. He changed Taruhi to its halberd mode and dodged all of Kinko's slow punches.

Judging by the way Kinko moved, he was anything but an ukaku. There was a slim chance he was a bikaku, as they generally use their kagunes as a trump card, and the fact Kinko didn't use his hinted at this. However, judging by his slow movements and powerful strike aimed to use brute force over precision, koukaku or rinkaku was more likely.

Koori dodged one of Kinko's punches and speared through Kinko's meaty arm with his quinque.

' Waaaah! Kinko hates this.'

Kinko jumped in the air, but too slowly, giving Koori ample time to lacerate his back.

The ghoul jumped on the damaged car and used it as a spring to get up on the road above. He escaped without much difficulty.

Koori now gave his undivided attention to Kaneki. He could see the bones slowly healing, with red tendrils popping out of his skin to suture the skin together. He should be fine.

The plot for the search for Rou thickens.

She must be a powerful ghoul herself if she can get obedience from such a powerful underling. And speaking of him, if Arima knew that he had lost to a random A-rate, he would never live it down.

For shame.

He had to instill into Kaneki taking every opponent seriously. Resting on your laurels is a bad idea.

They must take the Ghoul Restaurant down, at any cost.

In another location.

Rou was drowning herself in blood wine, and sitting on an expensive couch. She was smoking and thinking about what had transpired. According to that bumbling man, Kinko, he fucked them up pretty badly. But they lived.

This... was not going according to plan. So she needed help and resorted to getting that help from less savory characters.

And in walked in Kyuu, a ghoul associated with the ghoul yakuza. Ghouls, when it comes down to it, are not all that different from humans. They too have their vices. And some people are there to feed it to them. That was who Kyuu was. On top of this, Kyuu also provided some muscle to other ghouls, usually with his crew.

Kyuu was a ghoul around 40, quite an accomplishment when you consider so many ghouls die during their young adulthood (which translated as a testament of his strength), with tacky sunglasses and an earring on his right ear. He wore a black and dark gray pinstriped suit, and a dark red dress shirt. His hair was slicked back and had a fairly big beard on his chin.

To his credit, it is rumored that he works for or works with the Big Madam, but my God is he insufferable.

' Hello there, gorgeous. Whacha need help with?'

Rou took a long drag of her cigarette. ' A couple of doves are closing in on me. Some guy in a bowl cut and another in white hair. Kill the one in the bowl cut, but keep the white-haired one alive. He's cute and my type.'

Kyuu visibly fake winced. ' I don't really know about that. Doves? That's a huge risk. And in the 4th ward as well? If this was, for example, the 14th, I would've considered it, but here? No thanks.'

The man took out a toothpick and started chewing on it.

Rou sighed. ' Fine then. I'll give you 15 grand per head. They need to be dead before February. I can starve myself for that long. Then I'll feast on the white-haired dove, and his luscious...'

' Deal. No backsies. But give me 5 grand up front.'

' As you wish.'

Rou snapped her fingers and out came Kinko, with a suitcase with 5 grand in it.

' Take it and leave. I have other, better things to do.'

Rou smiled to herself at the thought of eating that boy up. As she licked her lips, she truly wondered if Kyuu would manage it. Probably not.

Giggling to herself, a hint of drunkenness in her actions, Rou pondered over the situation. Oh, what fun...

4399 words

A.N Next few chapters will focus on Kaneki against Rou and her crew. If you were wondering, Rou and Kinko are both ghouls from Tokyo Ghoul: Jail and Kyuu is from Tokyo Ghoul Carnaval. If you look up Tokyo Ghoul Carnaval Kyuu, he should be in the 8th picture. None of them appear in the manga or anime but are part of the broader TG universe, so I thought it would be a cool idea to throw them in. Tell me what you think.

Also, there will be a special chapter for April fools, so be ready for that.


	29. Chapter 29 Vengeance

It's been 5 days since the incident with Kinko. Both men were fully healed up and reinvigorated in their case. Koori has been dealing with how to locate Rou, and Kaneki with Kinko.

Kaneki has been in contact with the 7th ward day in and day out, getting as much information on Kinko as possible. Not only was he affiliated with the Ghoul Restaurant, but with what happened during their last fight... it was now personal.

There was a decent amount of info on him. He killed two investigators in the 7th ward after his escape. Before his detention, he was known as a ghoul with tremendous strength. But he was only an A-rate. Koori and Kaneki will make quick work of him when the time comes. It's just that last time...

Kaneki broke the pen he was holding in half.

Koori, on the other hand, was having much more difficulty. Rou's kagune was only known in the database due to a feeding incident from 4 years ago. No feedings since then. Meaning that she had either the time or the resources to dedicate them to hide her trail.

So to find her, they'll have to kill Kinko first. But before that...

' Kaneki, know that I am very displeased with your performance yesterday. That was unacceptable. I take part of the blame for letting his getaway, but we need to improve our cooperation when we attack, and not relying on our quinques. So you what that means?'

' Sparring?'

' Sparring.'

Kaneki deflated but was secretly excited to do this.

' Meet me in 10 minutes in the training room.'

In the training room, Koori was wearing black sweatpants and a white shirt, while Kaneki was wearing black shorts and a tank top. Koori was pleased to see some muscle definition happening.

Koori got into a stance, bringing his fists up, and planting his feet on the ground.

Kaneki did the same, and surprisingly, took the offense. Koori noticed that there was a change in Kaneki after Aogiri, but he couldn't put a finger on it.

Kaneki started punching at Koori, who dodged with ease every single one of them. Kaneki then decided to do a roundhouse kick, but Koori dodged again and swept his feet off the floor. Kaneki regained his balance, and jumped back, and landed on his feet.

Kaneki smiled and closed his eyes before opening them again. Koori noticed the small reddish veins appearing on the side of his left eye.

So that's how he wanted to play. 

Kaneki went forward at a tremendous speed and punched at Koori, who dodged again, but this time felt the force behind the punch. Playtime was over.

Koori kicked Kaneki in the shoulder but did not budge. Kaneki punched again and again and jumped back to increase the distance at each time. 

Koori's eyes gleamed as Kaneki punched. Koori jumped up, used Kaneki's head as a springboard, and caught him in a headlock from the back, choking him.

Kaneki sighed and tapped out.

' Remember Kaneki, that you should rarely cling to a ghoul's back, lest if you want them to spear you with your kagune.'

' Ok. I was thinking of doing that but, well...'

' I understand. Now get up, shower, and get dressed. We have to run a few errands. First, we're headed to the CCG's Laboratory Division. Take the design you wanted for Jason and the name you want the quinque to be called. After that, we'll go somewhere else.'

Kaneki nodded and rushed to go to his and Koori's shared office.

Getting his drawings (he was fairly skilled) and his notes on the design of the quinque, and put them in his messenger bag. Then, he went back down to the training area, walked into the shower room, and cleaned himself of the fine layer of sweat clinging to his body.

Kaneki was thinking, thinking about how weak he was in that last fight. Because he wasn't prepared. Next time... Next time he'll be ready. 

Kaneki cracked his finger as he thought about his new quinque design. It was inspired by old Japanese weaponry, and he thought it was quite suiting for a ghoul such as Jason. 

And the mode changes...

Kaneki smirked to himself as he dried himself off.

He could barely contain his excitement. 

As they were going to go to the 1st ward, they ruled out using a car due to paranoia, instead, they used the train.

' Koori, do you think Kinko is an S-rate?'

' Mhmm. No, probably not. At best he's an S-(minus)-rate, but his lack of intelligence and situational awareness make him an easy target. He has poor coordination in his moves and relies on brute strength. He should've died yesterday, had he not gotten us involved in a car crash. If we're prepared enough, it should be easy. What's more concerning is the possibility of Rou setting more goons after us.'

' OK. And you think Kinko is either a rinkaku or koukaku?'

' Probably. I'd be genuinely surprised if he wasn't. In any case, he should be good quinque material, so make sure to not damage his kakuhou. Your Jason quinque will take quite a while to make, judging by your designs, but as I said before, if it's simple enough it should be done within a week.'

The pair stopped talking to each other as they continued riding the train. Kaneki glared out the window and activated his kakugan, which was hidden from the world by his eyepatch. Fuck Kinko. How humiliating it was. 

Kaneki decided at that moment that he would devour Kinko, eat him whole, but not his kakuhou. 

993, 986, 979, 972, 965, 958, 951, 944, 937, 930, 923, 915, 908, 901...

Kaneki was the strong. It was his right to kill Kinko. And he was planning to exercise that right of his very soon.

The two got off at their station and walked to the CCG's lab. After showing their I.D, and passing through an RC scan gate(why don't they buzz for me, Kaneki thought), they met Dr. Chigyou.

' Kaneki, my friend, it has been a fair while since I've seen you. We've received the kakuhou from Jason yesterday, and we wanted to see your design. Of course, we can offer some of our own. Suzuya was here and wanted a scythe. Very unique, and has a gimmick mode. Very cutting edge.'

Kaneki smiled pleasantly and handed the man a folder. ' If you want cutting edge, then here you go.'

Chigyou's eyes widened.

' This is what you want? It's, well..., fascinating to be honest, but 3 mode changes are a bit excessive, don't you think? So... one base mode, and 3 variants of it.'

' That's what I want. It's an S+ quinque, and it's a bit personal, so I truly wanted the best.'

Chigyou was visibly excited, judging by his smile. ' Your quinque is going to be a monster. A real monster. And with an RC value of 5000. Also, the last mode change you want will be difficult to realize. It will be a cutting edge quinque, and unique.'

' Will you be able to do it?'

' Normally, it'd take a year to accomplish, but something like this... what a beauty. I'll personally work on it. I do appreciate the antique Japanese weaponry by the way.'

' Thank you very much. And while we're on the subject, I want to talk about something in private.'

' Really, fine then. Mr. Ui, if you will.'

Ui nodded and stepped out of the room.

' So, I was thinking...'

1 hour later

Koori and Kaneki were both walking to their next destination.

' I'm quite happy about how Yamori's going to turn out.' Said Kaneki.

Koori shrugged. ' Gecko is an odd name for a quinque. Glad to know you're happy about it.'

' He'll always only ever be Yamori to me.' Answered Kaneki with a tight fake smile. 

' In any case, this is the worst part of the job, so wipe that smirk off your face. We're here.'

Kaneki looked up and saw that they were in a middle-class income area, and about to enter a fairly tall apartment building.

As they entered the lobby, they went straight to the elevators and to the 4th floor.

Koori knocked on apt. unit 413 and waited.

A middle-aged woman, around 50 opened the door.

' Ms. Hasegawa, a moment please.' Said Koori.

Hasegawa? Oh no. Oh god no.

' Um, who are you, gentlemen? Is something the matter?' asked the older woman.

' Is your husband here?'

' Y-yes, he's in his office. I'll go get him.'

' Amazing. Please, have a seat.'

The woman went inside and called out for her husband. The man, a lanky bald man came out.

Koori gestured at the couch and they sat.

' Do-do you need water?' asked the man.

' No, that won't be necessary. We appreciate the offer.' Responded Kaneki. ' We are here to deliver some unfortunate news.'

Koori took over for Kaneki. ' We are investigators for the Commission of Counter Ghoul. Two nights ago, between 10 and 11 pm, your son was killed by a ghoul. There is an ongoing investigation to find the person who did this.'

The couple just blinked. ' What? I'm-I'm sure you have the wrong family. There are many Hasegawas and.'

' We are deeply sorry ma'am, but your son Yuji Hasegawa is no longer with us.'

Her husband's face contorted with shock, while tears leaked out of the wife's eyes. ' No, no, no, no, no, no! This isn't real, this isn't-'

' Once again, we are very sorry for your loss. Did Mr. Hasegawa have any close relationships, girlfriend, wife, child?'

The woman was still at a loss for words and was sobbing uncontrollably by now. Her husband answered, knuckles white from clenching them so hard. You could see he wanted to cry, but wouldn't dare to while his wife was.

' No, our Yuji doesn't, sorry, di-didn't, have anyone special like that. He never wanted a long-term relationship, only occasional flings. We have a daughter, but she's in high school. She's in class at the moment so...'

Kaneki started talking. ' It'd be best if you tell her as soon as possible. And remember, you're not alone. The CCG offers plenty of support groups for the families of victims.'

The woman stopped crying and looked up. ' You're from the CCG, right? Why couldn't you protect my son? Why? He never did anything wrong, and still paid the price, because you can't do your f-fucking job! Get out! Now.'

Koori sighed and motioned for Kaneki to leave. He took out a flyer and passed it to the couple. ' This is a pamphlet for a support group. Don't be afraid to reach out.'

Kaneki was outside by the time Koori came.

' That was... rough.'

' Don't worry Ken, they'll heal. Just give them time. This isn't a first for me.'

Kaneki remained silent, but a dark thought came to mind. ' Koori, do you think anyone will be sad when I die.'

Koori turned around and glared at Kaneki. ' Don't joke about that type of stuff. Come on. Let's go.'

At an abandoned warehouse

Kyuu was surrounded by a group of well-built ghoul in generic masks, all wearing the same "tacky" clothing. Kinko was sitting on a crate in the background, listening to the conversation.

Kyuu was biting on the frame of his sunglasses while talking. ' Righty-o guys, Boss woman needs us to kill a couple of doves, no biggie. The pay is good, real good, and she said it'd be easy. What we'll do is lure them here, and kill the black-haired one but keep the white-haired one alive. That's what she wants.'

The henchmen nodded and went their separate ways, leaving Kyuu and Kinko alone.

' So, big guy, heard you're a bit of a fighter. A real bamf. Wanna show me?'

Kinko rejected his offer by shaking his head.

' Kinko is staying here. Kinko likes to com... conter... contemdate? Kinko likes to think.'

Fuckin' hell, this guy isn't bright, thought Kyuu.

' Well, you do that champ. I am going to wait around here, maybe practice with my kagune.'

' Okie-Dokie.'

Sighing, Kyuu walked away and left Kinko to his own devices.

2 days later

Kaneki and Koori were stalking a warehouse on the edge of the 4th ward. There was some ghoul activity, and it all leads back to here. It was abandoned, and multiple different men with masks were spotted. Kaneki's instincts told him that the warehouse was a ghoul den at the moment.

All they needed was the confirmation, and they would raid the place, just the two of them.

The heater was on at max heat, but Koori was still shivering. Kaneki was just fine, as his nerve endings were fried by the torture.

Kaneki got his binoculars out and saw that one of the guys was carrying the body of a dead woman. What the most concerning thing was that the man lifted her by the leg, and started tasting the blood dripping from her.

' Koori, look at this.' Kaneki handed over to him the binoculars so that Koori could take a gander as well.

Koori's head bobbed.

' Let's go. I believe that the increased ghoul activity is due to Rou. She must be bringing ghouls into the ward to do her dirty work. Stay on high alert.'

Kaneki and Koori stealthily walked up to the building and peered in. The men were eating the woman, which meant that they could act now, without a warrant. There were around 15.

Kaneki used his ghoul strength to kick the steel door down and send it flying, where it hit the opposite wall.

Kaneki instantly got Asaki out. Koori did the same with Taruhi. No kidding around this time.

Kaneki launched Asaki's tip, which decapitated one of the goons.

Another let his kagune out, but Kaneki pinned it to the floor with his quinque and lunged at him, Ikraft and Abksol in hand. He sliced the man's throat, killing him. The kagune dissipated and left behind a quinque pinned to the ground. Putting Abksol in his mouth and Ikraft into his pocket, he now had his hands free, able to wield Asaki again.

Koori used Taruhi's whip mode to spear through 2 men at the same time.

' Kaneki! Go crazy.'

Kaneki smirked and activated his kakugan. Pushing back on his hind leg, Kaneki dashed forward, and did a roundhouse kick, decapitating another ghoul.

Koori, not to be outdone by his partner, rotated Taruhi in its halberd mode extremely fast, and ran towards a trio of enemies, dicing them up nice and good.

8 down, 7 more to go.

' Kaneki, take formation A! Let's practice our cooperation on these small fries.'

' You got it, Assistant Special Class Ui.' Replied Kaneki in a teasing tone.

' Don't get cocky now.' Yet Koori was still smiling. He didn't know why, but his partner, nay, his student, had gotten a lot stronger recently, and it only pushed him to excel. It was really reinvigorating.

Formation A consisted of using Taruhi's whip mode and Asaki when it was fully stretched out. Essentially, Koori would use Taruhi and swipe it towards Kaneki, aiming for his head, and Kaneki would aim for Koori, but aim for his feet. It was a pincer attack that would dismember and decapitate all ghoul caught in the middle, which accounted for 5 at the moment.

It happened in an instant, but 5 bodies fell to the ground, missing their heads and their feet.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

On the rafters, were three shadowed figures.

The person who was clapping was a silver-haired woman.

Rou.

Kaneki snarled. Next to her was Kinko, and some other man, in the same outfit as the dead goons. The remaining two henchmen ran towards their boss.

' That was not bad... not bad at all', said Rou in a very sultry voice. ' Kyuu, you other two... take care of bowl-cut. Kinko, darling, fight against white-haired here.'

' You got it tuts.'

' Okie-Dokie.'

The yakuza, Kyuu, and his two goons instantly activated their kagune.

Kyuu was an ukaku, with two blade-like protrusion which was purple in color. The protrusions were composed of different interlocking shells, like when you stack ice cream cones.

The other goons were an ukaku and koukaku respectively, with nothing to write home about. Koori used his quinque's whip mode to break the goon's ukaku and pulling him forward. Instantly changing his quinque's mode, he sliced the man's head in half horizontally, only leaving the man's jaw connected to his body.

Kyuu let out a barrage of projectiles, which were electric blue in color, and long and thin. Not very conventional.

Rotating Truhi at great speeds, he managed to deflect them all and dodged one of the koukaku's strikes. He speared the man through his kagune, who was using it as a shield and punctured his heart. He crumpled to the ground and bled out.

Kyuu whistled. ' Damn brat, you got some real spunk you know that. Probably the strongest dove I've ever faced.'

The ghoul lunged.

Rou was in the rafters, smoking and enjoying the sight below her.

Meanwhile, with Kaneki.

Kinko had run at him, but Kaneki dodged, resulting in Kinko running headfirst into a wall and breaking it. 

They entered into a cold room, one undoubtedly used to store animal carcasses. There were a few still hanging on hangers, which Kaneki used to his full advantage.

Kinko would blindly punch, making him hit some of the hanging meat. Kaneki would duck, and fling Asaki's tip at Kinko. The ghoul would simply black and parry with his chains.

Kinko smashed his hand onto the ground, breaking the concrete, making it stuck there. 

Kaneki took this opportunity and used Asaki to cut his arm. It worked, but the chains on his wrists protected him, so only a gash on his elbow appeared. 

A small plume of steam and a sizzling sound was heard. So the ghoul was healing pretty quickly. Definitely a rinkaku then.

Kaneki came up at Kinko and punched him in the sternum. The taller man did not budge. Instead, Kinko swung down at him.

Shit, this wasn't good.

Using Abksol, Kaneki took the small quinque out of his mouth and threw it at the man's knee.

' Owwiie. That's an ouchie.'

Kinko grabbed at his knee in pain and leaned forward.

This was Kaneki's shot.

Ken ran towards the ghoul at full speed and remembered what Yaori told him.

A ghoul's weak point is in the eyes.

Kaneki ran up, jumped a bit, and rammed his index and middle fingers in the ghouls' eyes.

And the ghoul screamed. It was a vicious sound, with agony lodging in his throat, Kaneki could sympathize to a degree, but now was not the time for that.

' GRAAAAAH!!!! That hurts! You... I'm going to....'

And out of Kinko's back sprouted not 1, not 2, but 3 tentacles. They were massive, girthy, and wide. Their tips didn't have a point, but rather three, like a trident. The trident like tails had a space beneath them with holes in the middle, a bit like vintage snowshoes.

The ghoul's kakugan appeared like slits in his swollen, puffy eyes.

The real fight had just begun.

Back with Koori.

Kyuu was unleashing barrage after barrage of projectiles. His ukaku was noticeably harder than most, meaning it could double as a shield. His ukaku did have a weakness: it would crack occasionally, before reforming.

Ukakus had low stamina and consumed a lot of RC cells, which meant that their kagunes "floated" and ran out of steam quickly.

This ghoul must've begun degrading his kagune at specific moments, before reforming it in specific places, instead of reforming it constantly. It was very RC-cell conserving and quite ingenious.

But that meant those cracks could be used against him.

Kyuu tried to kick and punch Koori over and over again, to no avail.

Kyuu was tricky, but overall, pretty weak, at least against someone like Koori.

' Stop moving you elusive bastard!!!'

Kyuu must've gotten angry and didn't pay attention, so he didn't reform his kagune in time. Near the shoulder, there was a crack.

Koori used Taruhi and pointed it at the crack, before throwing it like a javelin. Koori ran to pull it out, before jumping back.

Kyuu was panting and gasping for breath.

The desperate ghoul lunged, and Koori speared him through the neck, before thrusting upwards.

The ghoul's corpse dangled on Koori's quinque, like a flag when there's no breeze.

Rou started running up on the rafters, but using Taruhi's whip mode, caught her by the leg and dragged her down.

' This fight is between you and me, ok.'

Rou's look with her active kakugan could only be described as seductive and furious.

Kaneki, 2 minutes ago.

Kinko's kagune was going out of control, lashing out and attacking at everything. The tentacles were cutting through the pigs' carcasses like butter, which was a lot when you consider they're 200-pound beasts.

Kinko slammed his rinkakus on the floor, creating a massive crater on the floor. Kaneki jumped up and evaded the strike.

Kinko let his kagune wild, and the irrational attacks would have scared any lesser CCG investigator, but not Kaneki.

He used Asaki as a shield and blocked many of Kinko's attacks. Each time the quinque and the man's chains came into contact, sparkles flew everywhere.

This blinded Kinko temporarily, and his eye injuries were not helping.

Kaneki jumped up, dropped Asaki, and did a backflip in mid-air, landing behind Kinko, who didn't see him.

Kaneki jumped up and latched himself on Kinko's back, bringing him in a chokehold. He took out Ikraft, and slit Kinko's throat.

The mans' kagune were viciously slamming into the walls but to no avail.

Kinko rolled back on his back, and grabbed at his throat, trying to stop the bleeding.

Kaneki looked down at Kinko, in what he knew were his final moments.

Looking around to check that no one was watching, Kaneki took a bite out of Kinko's meaty arm.

It tasted rancid, foul, stringy. It was awful and horrendous, but Kaneki continued until he couldn't take it anymore.

Kinko was gasping his last few breaths, as he saw Kaneki with blood in his snow-white hair. Reaching out, Kinko said his last words.

' You, you look like a red and white rose hybrid. So, so beautiful.'

A single tear rolled down Kinko's cheek, as he died.

Kinko's hand rested on his breast pocket, and Kaneki moved it. Taking its contents out, Kaneki was shocked to find a white iris in it. Unstained by the blood around it. Was he protecting it?

Kaneki was racked by guilt now. He felt bad after killing such a misguided, yet compassionate ghoul.

Kaneki looked down and closed Kinko's eyes, before leaving. He would make a nice quinque. Kaneki picked Asaki back up and put the flower delicately in his pocket.

Back to Present.

Rou was standing up and staring down at the bowl-cut investigator. The white-haired one who joined, however...

oh, he was making her legs tremble, and not only in anticipation.

She activated her kagune, a large koukaku that sprouted from beneath her left shoulder, with the base forming a flower-like structure that covers her shoulder blade entirely. The kagune's base was connected to a sharp, pointy spear by a flexible tendon. She was left-handed, which made things more difficult.

Kaneki used Asaki to hit her, but she just blocked the attack with her spear. She twirled around and used the edge of her kagune to repel all attacks. Like a Beyblade, Kaneki thought.

Regardless, when Koori attacked her with Taruhi, she managed to block the attack with the shaft of her spear. 

This repeated a couple of times before Kaneki had a bright idea. Turning to Koori, he whispered it into his ear.

' Yeah, let's do that.'

Koori leaped forward, and attacked her with his halberd, with no effect. Kaneki went behind the woman and used Asaki to cut the tendon connecting both parts of her kagune.

Her spear soon disintegrated, and Kaneki punched her in the cheek. She jumped up and stood on a rafter, before reforming her kagune.

Dropping down, she glared at them. 

' Fine then, playtime's over.'

She dashed forward, using her kagune as a javelin, and jabbed multiple times at Koori, who just dodged. He jumped in the air and kicked her in the jaw, stunning her.

Kaneki took advantage of this moment to grab her by the hair on both sides of her head and kneeing her, breaking her nose.

' Raaah. You fucker.'

She jumped up, and with a ghastly yell, tried to spear Koori through the throat.

He blocked her, and with a twirl of his quinque, cut her across the stomach and broke her own spear in half.

She fell to the floor but was struggling. Glaring from below, she said. ' I just wanted to eat his ass. I wanted to devour all of him, he would've made me feel a decade younger.'

Koori answered. ' Sorry, no can do. But you can have the closest thing to that.'

Koori raised the blunt of his quinque high in the air, locking her with a cold and unforgiving gaze. 'Eat shit and die.'

Koori bashed her skull in, squashing it between the quinque and the concrete floor.

4290 words

A.N Happy Valentine's day. I know, 2 chapters in a day. Be grateful. In other news, the next chapter will be a sort of transition chapter before the ghoul restaurant raid and Kaneki's promotion. Big timeskip ahead. See you.


	30. Chapter 30 Closeout and the Twins

A.N, We're back to canon, baby! We'll see how it goes.

Before Kaneki knew it, 4 and a half months had passed since his fight against Kinko. As promised, he went to Dr. Chigyou to make yet another quinque for him. He didn't mind and was making steady progress on Yamori.

Kinko was done in a month, and Kaneki was quite satisfied with the results. Before leaving the warehouse, Ken took the chains Kinko wore and decided to make them part of the quinque. His new quinque was a massive Kanabo, with a red, almost coral, color. Its end had a ring attached to it where the chains linked up to. That way, he could use it in a long-range fashion if he so chooses, though in short-range, he could wrap the chains around his hand and swing it like a regular club.

After their fight, Kaneki bought a little pot and planted Kinko's flower in it. He was happy to see that it had survived so long.

But right now, more important events were taking place.

Koori and Kaneki were both in a news studio, where Koori was going to be giving an important speech to all of Tokyo. Koori rehearsed with Kaneki for hours on end until he got it right.

Ken simply tapped his finger on his quinque case and looked on. The walls were black, and most of the light came from the recording equipment, or the massive floodlights eliminating the stage where Koori was seated, right next to a local TV broadcaster.

' Alright everyone, we're on-air live in 3, 2, 1 Now!' Said a random man.

The broadcaster started speaking.

' Welcome back everyone to Tokyo's very own, channel 23. Here with us today is Koori Ui, the investigator from the CCG in charge of the 4th ward. Now then, Mr. Ui, what do you have to say about the 4th ward concerning ghouls? Is there something brewing up like in the 11th ward a couple of months back?'

Koori gave a tight-lipped smile and a carefully rehearsed line. ' No, not at all. The opposite in fact. The Commission of Counter Ghoul and I are pleased to announce the full "Closeout" of the 4th ward.'

The news reporter gave a smile with his overly bleached pearly whites. ' And what is this "Closeout" you speak of?'

' Closeout refers to not only the complete extermination of ghouls in the 4th ward but the prevention of their reentry as well. For many years, the CCG has cracked down on ghouls in wards 1 through 4, but we're proud to say that there isn't a single ghoul left in Shinjuku.'

The news reporter seemed to be genuinely taken aback by that. ' So... are you saying all ghouls in the 4th ward have been wiped out?'

' Yes, they have. My colleagues and I have worked tirelessly these past few months to take them down. It was grueling, but we got there in the end.'

The news reporter cocked his head and continued asking questions. Most of them were pointless, but oh well.

' And so, Mr. Ui, do you have anything left to say?'

' Yes. I invite the public to go onto the CCG's official website for any information about ghouls, and how to keep your loved ones safe. CCG officials are the ONLY reliable source of information regarding ghouls, so please be skeptical of ghoul "experts" such as Sakuyama and Ogura.'

Koori bowed down and walked off the stage.

Anteiku, 20th ward.

At the moment, everyone in the cafe was a ghoul. And they were all watching the same thing: the small TV in the corner of the shop.

Some Bruno Bucciarati lool-alike just announced something absolutely dreadful: the CCG killed all ghouls in the 4th ward.

Touka was wiping down a table when the broadcast came on, and she was petrified. In the corner of her mind, she wondered if Uta was alright, but she was just shocked. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched in silent horror, even the manager.

When the man left the screen, and the weatherman came, Mr. Yoshimura simply turned off the TV.

There was absolute silence in the shop.

That silence was broken by a short skinny blonde girl, with an interesting outfit. A random patron asked her who she was.

' I'm Asa, and I lived in the 4th for a while. Things have been hard over there for around a decade but recently... I dunno, two doves were going everywhere in the ward, exterminating as many of us as possible. I fled to the 23rd, then came here, but it was horrible towards the end. No hunting grounds, no order, no leadership. Ever since Uta left power, it's been a real shitshow, but now... even if he had helped, it wouldn't have mattered.'

All eyes were on Asa now. Irimi brushed some hair out of her hair and asked a question. ' Two doves? What do you mean by that? Surely there were more.'

' Yeah, but the rest only helped and assisted them. 95% of the actual killing came from them. In 5 months, they must've killed 70 ghouls each. Basically, a ghoul died every day. I bounced the fuck out of there before it was too late, so I was fine, but I did see them from afar. The duo comprised of the wannabe Rock Lee on TV and his partner, a younger guy with an eyepatch. Eyepatch guy was brutal and efficient.'

Asa got up and paid for her drink, before leaving. Most patrons left shortly, as their mood was killed. Looking back to the TV, Touka couldn't help but wonder if ghoulkind was slowly coming to an end.

Back to Kaneki

Kaneki was wearing the same clothes as always, though he had a new eyepatch. It was gifted to him by Koori, who saw him looking at it in a shop. It was a "belated birthday gift" as he put it.

The new eyepatch was pitch back and had a golden centipede's outline on the contour of the patch. 

It looked a bit edgy, but Kaneki liked it, so it was fine.

He and Koori have been killing ghouls left right and center. Kaneki's total number of kills was around 80 by now. Koori had the same and told his underling that if he kept it up, he might even be awarded the Golden Osmanthus Medal, as well as the Single White Wing Medal.

Kaneki remembered the conversation they had on the subject.

' Kaneki, the CCG awards two types of medals: the Osmanthus Medal and the White Wing Medal. There are three versions of the Osmanthus Medal: Plain, Silver, and Gold. Plain is awarded for killing 30 ghouls in a year, Silver for 50, and Gold for 100. I have the golden one, got it a few years ago. Then there are the White Wing Medals, comprising of the Single, the Double, and the White Dragon Wing. If you kill an S-rate, you're awarded the Single White Wing, SS the Double, and finally, if you manage to defeat or kill an SSS-rate, you're given the White Dragon Wing Medal, As far as I'm aware only Arima has that last one, but Chairman Washuu might have one as well. I have the Double when I killed the SS-rate that makes up Ajite.'

Right now, Kaneki was going to the 7th ward's branch office. Tomorrow, a massive raid was going to take place. Koori and Kaneki had been working hard on taking the Ghoul Restaurant down for almost a year now. And they succeeded in discovering the address of the place, as well as the identity of many ghouls. Furthermore, the killing of Rou and Kyuu greatly reduced the Restaurant's power. It seemed that Rou was a regular patron, who especially participated in the trading of young men at auctions. The loss of this source of Income should greatly affect them.

Taishi Fura was going to be heading the Raid, with the help of an armada of ghoul investigators. Senior Investigator Take Hirako was invited to participate, which he accepted.

Fura was the one directing the entire operation, Hirako would be stationed in the tunnels beneath the restaurant which connected to the arena. Kaneki would enter first, kill some ghouls, and open the doors for the rest to come in.

Kaneki waltzed into the office and got into an elevator. The cool air conditioner provided an amazing contrast against the sweltering June heat.

In the elevator, Kaneki checked his watch. He had to hurry, or else he'd be late. 

When the elevators opened, Kaneki sprinted and locked open the door.

' See Taishi. I told you. He's 12 seconds early.'

' Damn it Koori. Here's the money.'

Placing bets to see if he would come early huh?

Taishi Fura was a tall, well-built man with dark hair combed backward. He had high cheekbones and wore a dark suit and tie. A proficient investigator, the steady results and his amiability made him very popular in the CCG.

' Glad to see you here rank 3 investigator Kaneki.' Hirako said, gesturing for him to sit down. ' We are going to review the targets we have and the goals we must meet, as well as additional quotas.'

Kaneki nodded and dropped Kinko to the floor, before taking a seat. Kaneki gently drummed his fingers on the table. Fura took out some pictures and placed them on a board.

' Our main objective is to kill as many ghouls in the Restaurant as possible. Our second objective consists of rescuing all humans there. And our tertiary objective is to uncover the fall ghouls' identities, as well as cut the flow of money through the Ghoul Restaurant. The organization is unique in that aspect, where we need to cut off the income of it, instead of simply killing them all.'

Everyone present nodded. Hirako raised his hand, odd, but OK, and waited for Fura to call on him.

' Yes Take.'

' Do we know how many ghouls are there?'

' Excellent question. We presume that there are around 60 members, but they might have servants and/or bodyguards with them, but that is taken into account.'

Take nodded.

' Now, here are our main targets. These are the ghouls that we must try to kill at all costs, but we don't know for are if they will be present. They are:

\- Big Madam

\- Madam A

\- Mr. MM

\- Mr. TR

\- Mr. PG'

Fura sighed. ' Take, you have previous experience in dealing with the clowns, so you will exterminate Mr. PG. We know next to nothing about him, however. Only engage him after clearing out the tunnels that lead the arena to the entranceway. Kaneki, you will deal with Madam A. We have reason to believe that there is a high chance of her being present. I will personally deal with Mr. MM and TR. Koori, you will have to take care of the brunt of the operation. While we're here, let's also discuss the-'

The door slammed open. The intruder was panting heavily and took his jacket off, and threw it on the nearest unavailable chair.

Koori pinched the bridge of his nose. 

' Rank 2 investigator Kuramoto Itou. In the future, please do arrive on time.'

The man, sporting his usual "fox eyes" and grin just waved the concerns off. He was a young 23-year-old man with shaggy, light-colored hair. He had a cheerful and mischievous personality, which starkly contrasted with his partner's, Take Hirako.

Fura summarised what was said and continued. ' As I was saying, we must discuss the condition of the scrappers. Most are human, so we'll need to keep the harm done to them to a minimum. Use sedatives and nonlethal moves against them. The CCG will rehabilitate them in due time. Madame A seems to be the one providing the Restaurant with the largest amounts of scrappers. We have yet to discover her identity or kagune type, but she isn't that big a deal.'

Kaneki nodded, a bit disappointed, but chose to say nothing.

Koori lighted up a cigarette and started smoking. ' I noticed that we don't have many skilled ukaku quinque users on the team. We have two koukakus, me and Itou, two rinkakus, Take and Ken, and finally you Taishi, with a bikaku. Isn't that a tad bit concerning?'

Take nodded. ' That was our biggest problem back in the 11th ward, right investigator Kaneki?' The one-eyed ghoul simply made an approving clicking sound and scratched his cheek.

' Very well then. Meeting adjourned.'

Everyone stood up, bowed, and left. Kaneki headed straight to the Chateau, where he did an entire training regimen. A lot has changed. He had gotten a lot more muscles, with abs underneath his shirt. He still read martial arts books but, in secret, he would use his kagune.

He was very attuned to it now, being able to use it without thinking too hard about it. His sense of smell was still fairly poor, at least compared to other ghouls.

As Ken was doing pushups, he thought of the frequent nightmares and headaches that plagued him as of late. Lately, he had been having hallucinations of Rize and being trapped in Yamori's room. Kaneki noticed that the more he cannibalized, the more the hallucinations increased in intensity.

Not that he cannibalized that often. He had to be careful and made sure to do it when Koori wasn't there. To be completely honest, he still desired more.

Tomorrow's raid was going to be cathartic though, as ridding the world of those sadistic ghouls will only make it better.

Kaneki wiped the sweat off of himself with a towel, before going to bed. He was going to bring Kinko tomorrow, as well as the usual pair of knives.

As he closed his eyes, Kaneki wondered about Rize, or the "Binge Eater" as the CCG called her. According to Shinohara, the Binge Eater was in wards 11, 17, 18, and 6. After a little bit of digging on his side, and he found out that no Rize Kamishiro ever existed. However, there WAS a ghoul called Kamishiro, in the 6th ward. Matasaka Kamishiro, SS-rate Orca. HE was the key to discovering who Rize really is.

The next day, 11 PM.

Dozens of CCG cars surrounded the unimposing brick building. Simultaneously, an inordinate amount of bureau investigators were on the restaurant's grounds, all equipped with guns and Q bullets. They were their backup.

The main team, consisting of Koori, Kaneki, Hirako, Itou, Fura, and his squad were at the door. They went through the plan one last time: Kaneki goes in, kills the security as stealthily as possible, and opens the doors for the rest of them.

The first phase was fairly easy, but it's after that it gets complicated. The CCG had a cordon around the perimeter of the building, to make sure no one could escape. Koori also spent ungodly amounts of time verifying that no tunnels were leading to the 24th ward. 11 PM. would be the time where most of the ghouls would be coming in preparation for lunch.

Kaneki cracked his finger and looked back,

Fura nodded.

Kaneki opened the door.

Inside, there were two butlers next to the entranceway. The room he was currently in was the foyer.

The two butlers in their white doll masks were instantly alerted by his CCG uniform. Kaneki opened his quinque and let Kinko out.

The quinque was quite big, and the chain that was connected to the end of the club was wrapped around his right hand. Gripping the Kanabo, Kaneki dashed and swung, instantly crushing the ghoul's skull. Butler no.2 was running away and had a good bit of distance between him and the investigator. 

Kaneki unwrapped the chains wrapped around his hand and grabbed the chain. He started rotating the chain, making the Kanabo spin, before unleashing it towards the ghoul. It made contact with the ghoul's thoracic spine, and a sickening sound could be heard, like when you drop a plate.

The ghoul tried to scream in pain, but Kaneki stepped on his windpipe, silencing him. The butler was paralyzed ribs down and couldn't move. He must've had a rinkaku or bikaku because he couldn't unleash it now.

Kaneki lifted his Kanabo in the air and brought it down onto the man's face. The result resembled the remnants of a strawberry smoothie a kid dropped at an amusement park.

Kinko wasn't a quinque that aimed to kill; it aimed to crush. And that was what made it beautiful.

Moving on in the lavishly decorated building, the one-eyed ghoul saw a maid walking down the corridor, back turned to him.

He crept up behind her, before grabbing her by the jaw and keeping a hand over her mouth, stifling her shocked gasp.

A satisfying crunch later, and Kaneki continued, retracing the steps he took during Operation Mask. Turning to his left, he finally saw the tunnel that led to the arena, as well as the parlor room at the end of it.

Perfect. 

He then found the main entrance for the guests, and gently opened the door, peering inside.

There was a large gathering of ghouls.

Good.

Ken walked back to where he came from, and opened the door, completely this time. In total, around 15 men walked in, with the rest remaining outside.

' Hirako, go left. The steel door will lead you down.'

Wordlessly, Hirako and Itou went down into the hallway. Itou already activated his quinque, Senza, before going in.

Fura took the head of the group and breathed sharply in, before pushing the doors open.

' This is the CCG! You are all under suspicion of being ghouls. Surrender immediately!' Fura said in a booming voice. The part about surrendering was a formality of course, but he needed to say it.

The ghouls let out a shriek and scrambled out. They ran in all directions, stampeding out and trampling over each other. Many went down in the tunnel, and Kaneki hoped that Hirako would be fine.

' Fura raised his arm and shouted. ' Go!!!!'

And Kaneki complied. He took out Kinko and started dashing at ghouls, crushing their heads with it.

Koori did the same with Taruhi, but instead of crushing their heads, he cleanly cut their limbs off.

Fura, however, had a unique bikaku quinque: Lantern.

It was shaped like a dark purple lizard's tail, which Fura used to swipe at his opponent's. It was noticeably bulky and thick.

Fura's men did some of the exterminating, but it was most importantly Kaneki and Koori. Fura did some of the work but was too busy coordinating everyone.

Kaneki crushed ghoul after ghoul, mashing their masks and luxurious suits.

On the second floor, he noticed Madam A.

He jumped up, did a flip, and landed.

' Showoff.' Koori muttered, albeit not unkindly.

One of Fura's men, a shorter man with a bowl cut and small mustache was awed. 

' Wow. Do you see how he handles his quinque? It's like a part of his body. And his moves... are you sure he's only a rank 3?'

Fura wiped at his forehead with a handkerchief. He was extremely stressed as Hirako had not responded in his communications.

' Yeah, but the promotion ceremony is in a week. Believe me, he won't be a rank 3 for long. He reminds me a bit of my friend...'

Koori was engaging Mr. TR and made quick work of him. He was wealthy, but only a B-rate at best.

Looking up, he saw Kaneki pursuing Madam A, before her bodyguards intervened.

One of them had a long white cloak with one sleeve on the right arm with a symbol similar to an eye on the hood. Their mask was a simple black and white horizontal-striped mask with a hole in the right eye. The other had a long black cloak with a hood, and on top of the hood were two white circles resembling an eye. Their mask was a simple black and white vertical-striped mask with a hole in the left eye.

They were both shielding the Madam.

' Get the fuck out of my way!'

Kaneki launched Kinko at them, fully ready to kill the two bitches that dared cross his path.

As the quinque was going to reach its target, it was intercepted by 4 meaty rinkakus. Kaneki and Koori instantly recognized the shape and color. It was his kagune.

' Fura! We got a problem up top.'

' Got it.!'

Fura was trying to fight the scrapper, to no avail. For some reason, the man had a quinque and a massive one as that. Trying to disarm his opponent without harming him was close to impossible.

Kaneki was facing the two girls.

' Just like father said.'

' You showed up.'

' One-eye.' They said simultaneously.

They attacked him again, but he blocked their hit with Kinko.

He leaped backward into the arena, where he kicked the quinque out of the hands of the scrapper.

Fura nodded gruffly in appreciation and sedated him with a bullet.

The girls were still upstairs and dragged Madam A with them to safety.

Kaneki chased after them, taking the opportunity to kill as many ghouls as possible. He caught up to them with his tremendous speed in 40 seconds.

In the arena, Hirako and Itou resurfaced and saw what was going on.

They started killing ghouls, but practically none were left.

' Kuramoto. Go help investigator Kaneki.'

' You got it, bossman!'

Kaneki appreciated the help but was preoccupied with making the girls regret the fact they were born.

The girl in white sent a kagune towards Itou, who just slashed it with Senza. Kaneki took care of the girl in black, swinging at her, and blocking her strikes. It seemed that she was on the defensive, and was carefully analyzing the situation.

Kaneki rushed forward and swung his quinque at the girl in white's shoulder. It shattered the bones located there and forced her to jump back while clinging to her arm.

' Shiro! Are okay?'

' I'm fine Kuro. But dad said that if-'

' I know.'

The two girls shared a look and slowly took off their masks.

' We'll see you again, brother.'

Ken knew, at that moment, that what Yamori said on the subject of Kanou was true: he was making more one-eyed ghouls.

Madam A was surprised and confused.

' What are you two doing?'

The girl in black, Kuro answered. ' Dad said to give you up if we have to. We can't handle them all by ourselves.'

The duo started running away, and Kaneki started giving chase to them. Unfortunately, they broke through a window and went to the rooftops. Kaneki wanted to chase after them, and get answers.

Then, he remembered Madam A was still present.

Turning back, he found Madam A cowering in a corner. He brought Kinko up and smashed it into her kneecap.

' AAAAAHHHHHHH!'

Kaneki glared at her, completely apathetic. He turned around and motioned for Kuramoto to come hither.

' Itou, can you get me some of the restraints? I don't have one on me.'

' No problemo.' The light-haired man rummaged in his pockets until he found what he was looking for. These restraints were essentially leather handcuffs, but with a dose of RC suppressants connected to a needle. When you put these on a ghoul. the needle will dig into their veins and the RC suppressants will take action.

' Here you go. Catch!'

Kaneki did the fakest "thank you" smile he could muster, before placing the restraints on Madam A.

She was wailing and kicking at him, but that didn't stop her from getting handcuffed. Kaneki walked her downstairs, but something was amiss in the arena.

Hirako was currently engaging a ghoul, but something was off with them.

It took a while for Kaneki to recognize him, but it was PG. The Clown.

Hirako looked like he was struggling, so Kaneki knocked Madam A out, and placed her slumped body next to the wall.

Mr. PG had brown hair curled in the front and parted to the right. He wore a white business suit and a gaudy checkered dress shirt. He also wore white gloves.

Hirako was attacking him again and again, but PG just dodged. It was effortless on PG's part, but now that he had gained everyone's attention, it would be much more difficult.

Hirako swung downwards with Nagomi, but PG leaned back and jumped up, twirled, and landed on the quinque, embedded in the concrete, where it was now stuck.

Fura wasted no time in attacking, but PG ducked and kneed Hirako in the face, before evading one of Itou's swipes.

' As much as I'd love to stay here, I have to bounce, I do admit that you provided excellent entertainment.'

PG did a victory V sign with his hand before kicking Fura in the stomach. PG started scarpering away, but Kaneki threw Kinko at him, which PG narrowly missed. PG gazed at the crater for a second, before running away and jumping a bit, clicking his dress shoes together.

Ui sighed. ' If only we had an ukaku to shoot him down. And he was toying with us.'

Fura waved for one of his underlings to come with a megaphone.

' Alright team, good work. We filled our quota and subjugated 2/5 of our targets. I want a sweep of the building, get the Bureau investigators here to inspect the identities of these guys, and get a cleanup crew!'

Fura lowered the megaphone and turned to Kaneki.

' Good call in apprehending Madam A. We'll be able to get tons of information out of her. Do me a favor and bring her to one of Cochlea's transport vehicles. And be ready for a debrief tonight.'

' Yes sir.'

Kaneki put Madam A on his shoulder and hauled her to a CCG ghoul transportation vehicle. The CCG ghoul transportation vehicle was a long bus, with three main compartments: where the drivers are, at the front, in the middle is where the prisoners are located, and at the end, or the entrance to the vehicle, where the security is. 

Prisoners are chained up to the wall and given a bench to sit on. There were multiple chains and cuffs available, but only one would be used today. Ken handed her over to one of the cochlea guards, who took her without a word.

All Cochlea guards wear white uniforms and white calots. They also wear white masks and carry around automatic rifles, giving them an eerie and macabre aura.

One of the guards wordlessly took the ghoul and removed the restraints on her, before chaining her up to the wall.

Kaneki walked out and thought about the two girls he saw, and of the clown. He felt oddly familiar, but where did he see him?...

3 in the morning.

Everyone involved in the raid was seated in a meeting room. Everyone was exhausted and took off their clothes. Fura was at the head of everything, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

Koori was smoking cigarette after cigarette, and Itou was clutching at his head. Kaneki was leaning back in his chair, almost dozing off. Hirako was the only one not completely shot, but his nose was still bleeding a bit.

Fura took out a cigarette and yawned. ' Gentlemen, I have a wife and baby, I can't stay here overnight ok. Let's wrap things up one last time.'

He scratched the nape of his neck before proceeding. ' We killed 67 ghouls, captured 1, rescued 2 potential victims and 1 scrapper. On the other hand, 3 ghouls escaped: Madam A's bodyguards and PG, the clown. Upon further inspection, I have decided to give the bodyguards, whom Kaneki said are named Kuro and Shiro respectively, who is who is quite obvious, a rating of A~. Mr. PG has a new rating of S~. The bodyguards have a rinkaku and appear to be one-eyed ghouls. Am I missing anything?'

Koori raised his arm. ' Go ahead Ui.'

' The scrapper we faced had a quinque. This means someone in either the Ghoul Restaurant or in the general underground knows how to disable a quinque's biometric signature. How they know, I can only guess.'

Fura massaged his temples and made a murmur of acknowledgment.

' At the moment, it seems Aogiri and the Ghoul Restaurant have no official ties, but the presence of PG is a bit worrisome. The clowns are a link that connects all major ghoul organizations. With Nee-san who associated with Aogiri, it is within the realm of possibility that the clowns are gathering information and/or building up alliances or at the very least, cordial relations. And with the Gypsy who just escaped from prison, it may be that the clowns are gaining more and more power.'

Kaneki clenched his jaw tight but said nothing.

' Hirako, contact S1 or S2 about the clown matter. See what they do. In other news, we can say that we can put this entire event behind us. Koori, Kaneki, be ready to be reassigned to another case.'

' Yes, Senior investigator Fura.' said Kaneki with as much energy as he could muster.

' And Itou, Hirako. Stick around the 7th for a bit, but this particular case involving the restaurant is closed. I'm disappointed we couldn't get Big Madam, but nobody has for 30 years. Meeting dismissed.'

Everyone stood up and bowed to each other.

In the hallway, Koori was talking to Hirako, but Kaneki couldn't hear what they were saying. What was odd is that Hirako initiated the conversation.

Itou was squatting on the floor and leaning his head back, trying to rest his eyes.

After the others stopped talking, they went outside and went their own ways.

' So, Koori, what case will we be on now?'

Ui said nothing for a little bit, before extinguishing his cigarette on the heel of his shoe.

' I don't know. Because we achieved closeout in the 4th ward, I might be made branch office chief somewhere else, or not. We might be sent to the 1st ward like everyone else. We'll see. However...'

Koori turned around to face Kaneki.

' What you need to worry about is the promotion test you need to study for. If you want to get to rank 2, that is.'

Ken groaned and Koori laughed, but not too loud.

Studying was going to be hard.

A week later.

Hundreds of people were seated in the audience, doing nothing to quell Ken's stage fright. After a while, his name was called out, and he went forward.

Kaneki was wearing the gray CCG dress uniform, with a white eyepatch. The shoulder pads felt a bit off but didn't bother him too much.

He stood in front of Bureau Chief Yoshitoki Washuu, ready to be promoted.

' Rank 3 investigator Ken Kaneki, I, Bureau Chief Yoshitoki Washuu, hereby appoint you -'

5208 words

A.N New chapter. Not much to say to be honest. Sorry for the cliffhanger


	31. Chapter 31 Promotion

A.N I'm powering through these chapters. Also, wanted to try out a new, more fast-paced type of chapter. I'll see if I like it.

It has been a week since the raid at the restaurant, and things have been quiet since. Not much has happened ghoul-wise, and Kaneki had to take an exam to attempt to be promoted from rank 3 to rank 2. It was annoying to study, but Ken didn't dislike it. Juuzou was there too, and it seemed he did quite well. The results were announced later on, and Kaneki had the highest grade, and Juuzou placed at fairly high as well.

And so, today was the promotion ceremony. So many investigators were gathered in one place; it was unnerving.

One by one, they were called from the audience to stand in front of the podium and receive their promotion or medal. Bureau chief Yoshitoki Washuu was the one dishing out the promotions. Halfway through, Amon got called up.

' Rank 1 investigator Koutarou Amon, I, Bureau Chief Yoshitoki Washuu, hereby appoint you Senior Investigator.'

Director Washuu smiled warmly as Amon bowed.

' I also give award you the Single White Winged Medal for eliminating an S-rate ghoul.'

Amon bowed again and remained solemn and steadfast. He returned to his seat, but not before Kaneki sent a discreet wave at him, and a thumbs up, to which he replied with a smirk and curt nod.

Then, Juuzou was called.

' Rank 3 investigator Juuzou Suzuya, I, Bureau Chief Yoshitoki Washuu, hereby appoint you to rank 2 Investigator. I also give award you the Single White Winged Medal for eliminating an S-rate ghoul.'

' Thank you!'

Juuzou replied brightly and skipped back to his seat.

And finally, Kaneki's name was called. He was consumed by a feeling of stage fright like something was boiling in his stomach, and the pressure was so great that his chest would explode. He breathed in and got up.

He was wearing the CCG dress uniform mandatory for these occasions and walked towards the stage.

Calm down, he told himself. The hundreds of people watching you aren't important.

' Rank 3 Investigator Ken Kaneki, I, Bureau Chief Yoshitoki Washuu, hereby appoint you to rank 1 Investigator.'

What? Did he skip a rank? Was that even done before?

' I also award you not only the Single White Winged Medal for eliminating an S-rate ghoul but also the Golden Osmanthus Medal, for eliminating 100 ghouls during a 1 year period. Congratulations.'

Yoshitoki looked down at him with a wide smile, almost a leer, and had a fire dancing in his eyes as if he was looking at a prize or a miracle.

The crowd was stunned, genuinely stunned, and all eyes were on him as he took his seat next to Koori, who smiled and patted him on the back.

Yoshitoki then spoke into the microphone.

' And now, a moment of silence for all the lives lost in the recent 11th ward battle.'

Afterward, there was a banquet for everyone involved, with tables and everything. It was a nice social gathering, but Kaneki's mind was elsewhere. He had jumped 2 ranks. 2! He couldn't;t help but feel thrilled. It was a sign that he was improving, growing stronger. That he was no longer weak.

Currently, he was at a table watching Koori eat. He was excitedly rambling on how proud he is and how excited it is to have a "prodigy" as a partner. 

Before long, Amon, Shinohara, Juuzou, and Hirako joined them. Kuramoto was scarfing down teriyaki somewhere in the background.

Juuzou was eating food like there was no tomorrow, eating like a 5-year-old. It was kinda endearing, and Juuzou didn't mind when he pet his head.

Shinohara and Amon were having a nice conversation.

' Look at you Amon! You were such a crybaby, and now you're a senior investigator. I'm really proud...'

Amon bowed in thankfulness. ' And thank you for putting in a good word for me too.

' No worries. Iwa and Chinomutsu did so as well. Mado wrote it in his will as well... which is why I couldn't show it to you.'

' That means a lot, sir. I'll visit him on my way home.'

' You do that. And by the way, we found your new partner. You'll meet them next week. It's awkward but..., nevermind.'

Shinohara brushed off the subject before turning towards Kaneki.

' And you must be Ken Kaneki correct? I was thoroughly impressed back there. Skipping 2 ranks... even Arima didn't accomplish that.'

Kaneki laughed it off. ' Don't say that, I just...'

Shinohara boomed with laughter as he slapped Kaneki on the back. ' And he's modest too. You got a real good one here, Koori.'

Koori was really pleased. ' I know, I know. Hirako and I both recommended him, and surprisingly, Fura and Marude put in a kind word for him. Very thoughtful as they didn't have to do that.'

Kaneki turned towards Hirako. ' You did that? Thank you so much!'

Hirako was unfazed. ' I believed that it would be most beneficial for you to be promoted as fast as possible.'

Wow, what a way to kill the mood.

Ui was still over the moon, as his mentee was garnering traction within the CCG.

' Amon.'

' Yes, Kaneki?'

' I'll be coming to see you in the 20th ward in a week. I have some important information regarding the rabbit case, but I was swamped at the 4th so...'

Amon nodded. ' Sure, that'd be great. That means you'll be able to meet my new partner.'

' Sounds great! I wonder what they're like.'

Kaneki then turned to Koori. ' And we need to go to Cochlea soon. I need to talk to Madam A and get some info out of her.'

' Shut up Ken. I don't want to talk about work right now.' He grumbled.

Unfortunately for him, Arima came to the table.

Kaneki hadn't seen the man since Operation Mask 8 months ago, save for maybe a glimpse at Cochlea. His stark white hair mirrored his own, but the man's stern demeanor didn't.

' Senior Investigator Amon, Rank 1 Investigator Kaneki, Rank 2 Suzuya, congratulations on your promotions.'

Kaneki bowed a bit, but Amon did a full 90-degree angle, pushing Juuzou down with him while he was at it.

' A-arima! I, uh, It has been...

Kishou simply smiled, in reality, it was a simple quirk of the lip. and waved his unnecessary actions off.

' I heard that our eradication efficiency improved quite a bit, thanks to mostly you 3. Rank 1 is next, Suzuya. Aim for that.'

' Will do!'

He then walked away, accompanied by two emotionless lackeys.

Ken turned towards Suzuya. ' You seem to be familiar with Arima. Why is that?'

' Ohh, it's no biggie, Candyman. Arima and I went to the 24th ward and I helped in the Whack-a-mole operations.'

' I see.'

Juuzou then hopped over to Shinohara and excitedly tugged at his sleeve. ' When can I get my quinque? When?' Like a toddler, Juuzou was tugging, and a button almost flew off. Shinohara scratched the back of his neck, trying to save face.

' It'll be ready by Monday.'

' Yay! You heard that Candyman! I'm gonna get my new quinque reeeaaaalllyyyy soon.'

Ken crossed his arms and nodded solemnly, making Juuzou giggle a bit.

Soon enough, the party started fizzling out. Amon was going to go visit Mr. Mado, Shinohara and Suzuya were going to the 20th ward, albeit separately, and Hirako went to find Arima, leaving Kaneki and Koori by themselves.

Ken decided to keep an eye on Koori, as he was drinking a tad bit too much and would soon be wasted.

Grabbing him by the shoulder, he dragged his superior out of the building and patted his back when he violently threw up in the street. Rubbing circles on his back, Kaneki was forced to comfort his superior and had to drag Koori back to his home, before Ken was able to return to his.

CCG Chairman Tsuneyoshi Washuu's office.

Tsuneyoshi Washuu was an elderly man, dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, with a long beard and hair. The wrinkles on his face made him seem more angular and stern, more than he already was.

In front of him were two of his sons: Yoshitoki and Kishou.

Clasping his hands together and placing them on the table, they began their discussion.

' Yoshitoki, how is the one-eyed ghoul doing? Is he meeting our expectations?'

Yoshitoki smiled a bit and nodded. ' He has gone beyond my expectations. Unfortunately, I do not know how his skill with his Kagune is progressing, but I'm led to believe that he has gained at the very least some proficiency. His skill with the quinque is growing exponentially.'

Tsuneyoshi grunted in response. ' I don't want a status report, I want results. He has killed an S-rate, fine. But he has been blessed with the kagune of the Washuu if our suspicions are correct. Does he have a kakuja? No. Has he killed an SS-rate? No. Has he proved himself valuable? Somewhat. Kishou, what do you think?'

Arima had his back straight and looked straight ahead. ' I believe that it should be appropriate to send him on more difficult tasks, but not judge him with the same stick as a child from the garden or a Washuu ghoul. He was a normal human before this, and he had to adapt, which I think is reasonable. He is starting to grow. It'd be a shame to stunt it.'

' Yes Father, I believe you're being a bit hard on him. And the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. Who knows how powerful his kagune is.'

Tsuneyoshi thought about it for a while. ' Fine. I heard that he's quite proficient with rinkaku quinques. Send him to the academy as a guest lecturer, and have one of us see how good he is with quinques. For his kagune, I understand why he is reluctant to show it to other CCG personnel. We'll touch on that subject later. He is the second one-eyed ghoul with the kagune of the Washuu, and the mistake of the first time won't be repeated. His destiny is set. He will be used to eliminate the One-Eyed Owl, and threats that come after it.'

' Father, the subject of the Washuu one-eyed is taboo. You even admitting that...'

' Silence! No matter what V says, Naagaraji happened and we should attempt to have something similar on our side. The tide is turning because of this so-called "One-Eyed King". While we're still on the subject, I want Matsuri to return from Germany. He will aid us in the fight against Aogiri. You are dismissed.'

Yoshitoki sighed, but Arima said nothing. To be honest, the reaper's interest was piqued by the CCG's one-eyed ghoul.

The following Day, Cochlea.

Koori and Kaneki were walking in the winding hallways of the prison. The hallways were stained with blood, and the screams of the ghoul rang in a sort of sickening cacophony.

The architecture was bizarre, as the prison was designed as a funneling tube. A man in the usual Cochlea uniform was leading them to the cell they were searching for on level 0, where the weakest ghouls detained remained.

According to Koori, only the Warden of the prison knows where the ghouls are located at all times. Apparently, Madam A was moved to enter the visitation room.

' So Kaneki, this is how it works. When you capture a ghoul, you gain "rights" over them, essentially being able to kill them or not. When your rights over them expire, generally after 10 months or so, the CCG will take them and dispose of them. However, if they prove themselves useful, your rights may be renewed indefinitely. So for the next 10 months, gain as much information out of her as possible.'

The guard opened a door with keys and brought them inside. It was a cold room made entirely out of stainless steel, but in reality, it was quinque steel. In the middle of the room were a glass panel and some chairs, so that the ghoul and the visitors could converse.

A figure emerged from the darkness, one of a bedraggled woman with stringy black hair and bags under her eyes.

Kaneki took out a document and read it out.

' Maiko Abe, female B-rate ghoul weighing 55 kilograms, with a height of exactly 160 cm. Your blood type is A and you have what seems to be RC Cell Tube Blockage, preventing you from using your kagune. Is that correct?'

Kaneki took her silence as a yes.

' An initial search of your residence has shown that you live in modest conditions, belied by your bank account. However, your bank statements show that you were in an impoverished situation 3 years ago, and acquired massive amounts of wealth around 2 years ago. I'm no accountant, but something seems to be amiss here.'

The woman grits her teeth and spat at him, only for the glass to intercept him.

Kaneki sighed and nodded at Koori. Koori walked out of the room.

' Ok listen here', Kaneki said, as he cracked a finger,' Do you want to know what a centipede feels like in your ear? Or when you lose all your fingers and toes? Do you?'

The woman said nothing but visibly cringed and was frightened.

Kaneki slammed the glass and shouted. ' Do you?'

' N-no, I don't.'

' Then keep it that way, unless you don't tell me everything! Your scrappers, they were one-eyed ghouls, right? Explain yourself!'

' I-I tried to eat a doctor, and he offered me a job...'

' Dr. Kanou?'

' Yeah, him.

Kaneki wrote the info down.

' And all of the ghouls there are one-eyed?'

' Yes.'

' Thanks. Where is this occurring?'

' Well.... there's a laboratory where he's producing them, some mansion, and I store some of my boys, my scrappers, in a container near the docks.'

Kaneki got up, and opened the door, whispering to Koori that: ' I played the bad cop, didn't really do anything. Come in.'

' Can you give me an address? '

'Yeah. It's the Yasuhiha manor. And for the container, it's No XXXX.'

' Thank you very much. I'll be back, but not anytime soon.'

' Wait!' She yelled. ' Am I going to die?'

Kaneki stopped in his tracks and looked at her, thinking. He opted for the truth. ' As long as you're useful, no. But once that usefulness disappears, you will be worthless.'

Kaneki opened the door and left, while the woman shrieked and demanded more answers.

' Kaneki, you can stick around. I need to talk to the new warden about something. Meet me outside in an hour.'

' Fine.'

Koori waved at him, as he turned around.

Kaneki then found a staff member and asked him if it was okay for him to walk around, to which she said yes.

As he roamed the spiraling staircase, he saw Amon walking up, a blond lady at his side.

Amon noticed him and signaled for him to come with a flick of the head.

Amon nodded and seemed a bit too serious. Kaneki gave a quizzical look at the girl by his side, urging her to make an introduction.

' Hello, my name is Akira Mado, and I am a rank 2 investigator, as well as Koutarou Amon's new partner. Pleased to meet you.' She gave him an icy glare and offered her hand for a handshake, which Kaneki took. It seemed that the girl went out of her way to hurt his hand. She had purple eyes and short blond hair, in an elaborate hairstyle. She was wearing a very formal outfit.

' Ummm, I'm-'

' Don't worry, I know who you are.'

Seems we have an icy bitch on our hands, thought Kaneki.

' Ok?'

Kaneki decided to ignore her and looked up to talk to Amon.

' Why are you here?'

Amon scratched his neck and closed his eyes. ' We were here to talk to SS-rate Donato Porpora. He just gave me a riddle to solve. I'm returning to the 20th ward.'

' Has the Rabbit done any more feedings?'

' None. She went completely underground.'

' Damn. In any case, I didn't have the chance to say this yesterday, but nice work in the 8th ward.'

Amon laughed, but Kaneki could tell it was fake.

' Thank you, thank you. Well, we need to be going. See you next week.'

' Bye.'

Akira left with Amon without saying a word, and that's when it dawned on him. Akira Mado. She was Kureo's daughter. No wonder she was pissed at him.

It was too late, and the two left. Shrugging, Kaneki walked down to the S level. It was quite empty, as all S-rates had escaped and they were yet to be replaced.

So that was why it was odd to see a door that was closed. So there was an S-rate still here? Kaneki found a worker and asked if it was ok to enter the cell, and asked for a clipboard containing some info on the ghoul.

Unfortunately, the worker said that he didn't have permission. That didn't stop Kaneki from trying to listen if anything was happening. He heard a low, guttural rumble. Words such as Hikari and protect came out in a garbled and incoherent mess.

Kaneki decided to walk back upstairs, feeling a bit disappointed.

He met up with Koori a while later.

' Kaneki, I just had a phone call from the upper brass. Bad news. You'll need to do a demonstration on how to use rinkaku quinques for some students. The location is the 1st Ghoul Investigator Training Academy. I'm an alumnus of it actually.'

Kaneki was bummed out.

Koori laughed and hit him on the shoulder. ' Don't worry, you'll be fine. They're just some brats. In any case, let's get you that new quinque.'

' It's finished? That's what I heard.'

' Let's go then!'

Kaneki practically leaped over Koori as he rushed to go to the lab.

' W-wait up for me!'

CCG Laboratory Division.

The pair were currently overlooking the laboratory and the quinque repair facility. It was fascinating to the untrained eye, what with all the wires and pieces of metal everywhere. Quinques are truly the pinnacle of biomechanics technology.

Dr. Chigyou waved at them and brought them to an empty room, with a sheet lying on a table.

' Kaneki, here is your quinque. Now be ready, it may surprise you...'

Chigyou went towards the sheet and dramatically lift it up.

Lying on the table was a meter-long Tsukubo.

Kaneki grabbed it with shaky hands. He could feel the cold kiss of the steel, how it hummed at his fingertips. It was like the quinque was reacting to him.

Yamori.

Dr. Chigyou walked up to Kaneki end explained all of its features.

' Your quinque is special for two main reasons: 1, the versatility of it. On the side, you can see that there's a circular button, like for washing machines, correct. The Tsukubo is the base form. If you want t gain access to the rest, you need to twist the button to the right.'

Kaneki did as he was told, and the purple quinque's tip changed shape. This time it was a sodegarami. Marvelous.

Kaneki did it again, and this time, it changed into a Sasumata. Kaneki noticed that only the tip changed, but that the rest of the weapon remained the same.

' I like the old samurai design. I had fun doing research on it and its history. But now, the big mode change!'

Kaneki turned the button and the tip morphed into a small blade, a scalpel to be precise. 

' And as you specifically requested it: Scalpel mode. And as you asked it-'

' It's imbued with RC Cell Suppressant, correct?'

' Exactly.' The man pointed to the opposite end of the weapon. ' Here you pour the RC Cell Suppressant, and it'll travel through the quinque with the use of some nifty engineering. It'll reach the top and the blade will have some suppressant on it. In theory, if you slash a ghoul in this mode, and only this mode, the RC Cell Suppressant will take effect after 15 seconds.'

Kaneki had a dark smile, ad cracked his finger as he held the pole. He took his hand and cut himself with it. He counted to 15, then took out a pen. He stabbed himself with the pen, and lo and behold, he was bleeding.

The quinque reeked of the nauseating odor, an odor he hoped to forget. But Kaneki was happy. He started rotating the quinque rapidly as Koori does with Taruhi.

It worked like a charm.

Light, yet powerful. Heavy, yet swiftly. Long, but considered close-range.

Papa just found his new favorite quinque. Kaneki thought, in the deep recesses of his mind, of what Yamori would think if he could see this. How he had power over him for as long as he lived.

It was beautiful.

It was his.

Kaneki bid the doctor farewell and instantly returned home to train with his new toy. He was going to master this puppy.

20th ward

Ken was walking inside of the 20th ward's branch office, something he hasn't done in a long time. Everything was somewhat familiar, but he did see some new faces.

Kaneki knocked on a door and walked into what appeared like Amon's office. It was littered with paper and pens, making the desk seem nonexistent.

Amon swung by and greeted Kaneki, then proceeded to push some papers out of the way and off a chair so that both of them could sit. Kaneki smiled a bit and sat down.

' So, Kaneki. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?'

' During my time in the 11th ward, I discovered something quite unsettling. I believe that the Rabbit may have a sibling. A brother to be precise. This ghoul had an extremely similar kagune to that of Rabbit's and I concluded that they were closely related. I also-'

Just as Kaneki was about to finish his sentence, a part-timer walked in, carrying some documents. Kaneki didn't say anything until he saw who was the part-timer.

' Hide?'

Amon just sat there, confused.

4015 words

A.N Boom, a new chapter.

I want to have a small Q&A here, as this is an important transition. Also, here is some facts on this fic and other stuff on TG I guess:

1, Originally, I considered having Mougan Tanakamaru or Kiyori Aura be Kaneki's partner, not Koori. I thought that Arima would be too basic and illogical, as well as boring. Even though I love his character.

2, I considered Kaneki chasing down Hinami and killing her, but changed my mind.

3, There was a moment where I briefly considered making Kaneki wayyyyyyy more sadistic, and torment ghouls a lot more. He would've been a Cochlea interrogator actually, working with Goumasa Tokage.

4, I made a "parallel story" where Kaneki joined the clowns. This wasn't related to this story, but I thought the idea was cool. However, it was only ever a draft and never published. The story was deleted. His mask would've been the same as in Tokyo Ghoul's pilot chapter.

5, I was greatly inspired by Sublimation on FFN ( I think it was taken down) and Mutiny on AO3.

6, I also had a moment where Kaneki would have Arata, and torment Ayato with it, but didn't make sense. Might reuse that idea actually.

7, I considered making Kaneki a sleeper agent in Aogiri for years. But thought the idea was too boring and bad.

Please ask any questions, as long as they don't make me spoil the rest of this story/AU.


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